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NZ Herald
7 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Gordon Townsend and Bob McLachlan win Yukon 1000 kayak race
'It's been a bucket list event for a few years, and I'm not getting any younger, so I thought I might as well put in an application,' he said The Yukon 1000 isn't just a race you can show up to — there are limited spots and a rigorous vetting process. 'There were 5500 applicants, so that's 2500 teams. That gets whittled down to 150, and those teams have a video interview. From there, 30 teams are selected to compete.' Undertaking such a challenge is not for the faint of heart, but with his experience in events such as Godzone and Coast to Coast, Townsend is quick to point out how preparation is key. Midnight camp on the Yukon River, Alaska. 'An adventure race and multi-sport background sets you up well for an event such as the Yukon 1000. 'We knew it was going to be hard — and it was. Past experience teaches you discipline, how to sort out systems, as well as food and nutrition. 'There are so many similarities between adventure racing and the Yukon 1000, so straight away it gives you an advantage.' Townsend quickly realised he needed a teammate, so he called up McLachlan to gauge his interest. 'I knew of Bob but hadn't met him. We chatted on the phone for a while, and in the end, he agreed to do it with me. 'I could hear his wife in the background, with a shocked voice, say, 'You didn't just agree to do that, did you?'.' The pair met and trained together only twice before the event, paddling the Clutha River and Queen Charlotte Sound, although they spent many hours training individually. Things didn't start well for the pair in the Yukon, with a broken rudder shortly after the race began. With a strict no-support rule in place throughout the event, they had to be ready to deal with every situation themselves. 'We pulled over and realised it wasn't a quick fix — it would take about an hour to repair — so we carried on.' 'After I removed my makeshift footrest, I did what I could, controlling the kayak with only hard right or straight-ahead controls.' The pair continued with a broken rudder for 160km until they made camp, where they repaired the kayak. 'We just knew what to do. We didn't want to lose an hour on the water. It was raining when we made camp, and we had to set up for the following day, filter water, repair the boat — so we only got three hours of sleep that first night.' With 18 hours of paddling a day, the duo had to spend a minimum of six hours off the water within each 24-hour period, as per the race rules. Setting up camp and preparing for the next day, they managed only about four hours of sleep each night. Setting time and distance goals helped Townsend and McLachlan stay focused, and when paired with their adventure racing experience, they had the tools to handle the mental challenges they faced. 'The hardest part of the race was on the last day, with winds throwing sand off the beaches like a sandstorm and one-metre swells breaking over the top of Bob. 'Our speed dropped from approximately nine to three kilometres per hour — and if we stopped paddling, we would have been blown backwards.' Despite spending five days, 14 hours, and 46 minutes enduring Yukon's remote hospitality, Townsend and McLachlan felt stronger with each passing day. Gordon Townsend, left, and Bob McLachlan at the Dalton Highway Bridge finish line of the Yukon 1000. 'We couldn't wait to get away from everyone else and get on with it, so from the start, we just kept a steady pace and settled into it. 'We went 200 metres and saw no one. Then we got to the other side of the lake — still no one.' By the time they crossed the finish line, the next team was still 160km behind. The pair set the second-fastest time in the event's history and made New Zealand the first country to achieve back-to-back wins, with Kiwi duo Sophie Hart and Nathan Fa'avae having won in 2024. Townsend reflected on what could have been. 'We were only three hours off the record, which was set in 2022 when the river was in flood.' The race director described this year's conditions as the worst in the past 10 years. Despite coming so close, Townsend has no plans to return to the Yukon any time soon. 'I would love to go back, but it's not cheap — and it's also a time hogger, especially with long training sessions. You can't just rock up.' With no plans to return and no events on the horizon, he now has time to recover — and then turn his attention to whatever happens to be next on that bucket list.
NZ Herald
12-08-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Northland runner Helen Waterworth to compete in 24-hour world champs
'I was convinced to try track in February by another athlete,' she said. 'In Auckland there was the national championships, and I entered to see how far I could run within the 24-hour period. 'That race I came second overall and first female clocking enough kilometres to get me into the New Zealand team.' That was in May, when Waterworth completed 515 laps for a total of 206km in 24 hours. The 38-year-old is used to long-distance running, having been involved in mountain and endurance running, including ultra-marathons, for about 13 years. 'Backyard events' – where runners do 6.7km trail laps every hour, on the hour until there is one person left standing – are her favourite. Waterworth has done 11 of them, including the Riverhead Backyard ReLaps Ultra in Auckland in 2021, 2022, and 2024. But it was the Clint Eastwood BackYard Ultra in Brisbane in 2024 where she performed her personal best, running about 234km in 32 hours. Waterworth, a former firefighter, has also completed the Godzone adventure race, a multi-day race where teams of four trek, mountain bike, kayak and pack-raft through New Zealand's rugged wilderness. Helen Waterworth is training hard for the 24-Hour Track World Championships in October. Running around a track for 24 hours sounded 'interesting', she said. 'Mentally it's okay, most of the stuff I do is 30 hours or days on end. 'You just science it; I figure out how much food I need every half hour or how many carbohydrates I need or when I need to change my socks. 'I miss mountains and trail running but I want to try and get the New Zealand female record, so I'll be chasing that for sure. 'I'll go over and give it my best.' Waterworth also runs His and Hers Endurance Event Kitz, which provides kit hire and set-up services at endurance running events, with her partner Chris Newsome. The couple recently hosted the inaugural Northland 100 Ultra in Glenbervie forest and the Kings Backyard Ultra at Barge Showgrounds. Waterworth is running 80 to 100km a week to prepare for the world champs. She is the only Northlander on the New Zealand team, which is made up of seven men and eight women. Athletics NZ spokesman John Bowden wished the athletes the best 'as they prepare for the pinnacle of global 24-hour racing'. 'This team represents the best of our ultra-running community, dedicated, resilient, and experienced. 'We are excited to see what they can achieve on the world stage in Albi.' The trip is self-funded, so Waterworth is raising money through Givealittle and has raised nearly $4000. Visit to donate. Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.
