Supremely Fit

Most of us would be puffing and blowing if we had to climb and descend 2600 feet, and travel a horizontal distance of 2½ miles into the bargain, but that is what competitors in the Gisborne Canoe & Tramping Club's first Creswell Cup contest did last month....and what's more the winner, Dave Hughes, completed the job in only 53 min 15sec.

That's fitness for you!

The runners had to climb and descend two Waimata Valley hills, Motukeo and Pukeaikuri, each 1400ft high, on either side of the swing bridge near Longbush.

Dave, who is both a harrier and a climber, ran second most of the way to Alan Parkinson, the district's top harrier, but finished strongly to gain a final lead of a minute and a half.