A total of 110 hardy cyclists, from as far afield as Auckland, battled the elements last Saturday during the inaugural Glenorchy Gravel Grind,
organised by the Glenorchy Trails Trust.
Trust member Katherine Cahill says the planned 160km ‘Century Grind’ was shortened to 102km, in light of a nasty southerly front and concerns over rising river levels.
Joshua Haggerty came up trumps by a hair in the men’s section of that event, in 3hrs, 3mins and 41 seconds, followed by Toby Roberts (3.03.45) with Eli Tregidga in third (3.06.37).
In the women’s section, Kim Hurst (pictured) won in 3.32.18, with Kath Kelly in second (3.38.58) and Alice Coombs third (3.42.45).
Cahill says the event, which also included a 37km ‘Paradise Gravel Dash’, was ‘‘hugely successful’’, and there are plans to run it annually as a fundraiser, aiming to create a Glenorchy to Queenstown trail.
