New Zealand’s legend of long-distance triathlon, Cameron Brown will be on the start line this Saturday for his 20th Port of Tauranga Half, presented by Compressport, at Mount Maunganui.
He starts each year with the Port of Tauranga Half, and has made this event his own, with ten victories and several other podium finishes since his first appearance in 1998. He recorded seven straight victories in the event from 1998-2004, and then wins in 2007, 2012 & 2014.
For Brown - “The Port of Tauranga Half has been part of my summer for 20 years. For me, it’s a great race to do pre New Zealand Ironman. It’s one of the oldest and most prestigious events on the New Zealand triathlon calendar, so it’s an important race to win.”
Cameron Brown’s incredible triathlon career stretches back to 1990 when as an 18 year he won the Whangamata Triathlon, beating former world champ (and Brown’s idol) Rick Wells. The twenty eight years that have followed have seen Brown amass an incredible record of success which has included 11 victories in Ironman New Zealand, and four podium finishes in the Ironman World Champs in Kona, Hawaii.
While Brown has dominated the Port of Tauranga Half over the past 20 years, he has a strong field to contend with in 2018. Heading his competition is recent Taupo 70.3 winner – Mike Phillips, two-time champion Graham O’Grady, 2010 winner Michael Poole, Australian Alexander Polizzi, and top NZ triathletes Simon Cochrane and Dylan McNeice.
In assessing the men’s field for this year’s event, Brown said – “Mike Phillips and Dylan McNeice are two guys I will be keeping watch of for sure.”
“Mike Phillips will be the favourite after his win at Ironman 70.3 Taupo. It gets harder and harder racing the young guys over this distance as they have so much more speed but I had a good little blow out winning the Mount Maunganui surf breaker Triathlon a few weeks ago, and there was some speed there.”
Brown is pleased with his preparation heading into his 20th Port of Tauranga Half, describing his recent training as – “very good, It's been a little different, with this year event being two weeks later than normal, but more relaxing through the New Year period as I've been able to put in some big miles.”
“I raced Ironman Western Australia early in December so it was perfect timing to have the Port of Tauranga Half a little later as I was able to recover after that event and then build my fitness back again.
For Cameron Brown, the passion for the sport of triathlon still burns at 45 years of age. When asked if he is looking forward to this Saturday’s Port of Tauranga Half, he answered – “I always love competing in this race as it's the perfect lead in event to the New Zealand Ironman 6 weeks later. I like to have a hard race before Ironman NZ and I get this every time plus I need to see if I have to improve in any of the disciplines in the final few weeks.”
Brown added – “Running around the Mount is also why I keep coming back, it's one of the best run courses on the circuit.”
The women’s race in the 2018 Port of Tauranga Half is shaping up as an intriguing trans-tasman tussle with top Australia triathlete, Melissa Hauschildt heading to these shores to take on two-time defending champ – New Zealand’s Amelia Rose Watkinson.
Watkinson has been the country’s dominant long-distance triathlete in recent years winning 11 Half Ironman titles internationally, and the last two NZ Half Ironman Champs. She has started the last two years with comprehensive wins in the Port of Tauranga Half.
This year she faces a tough challenge from Melissa Hauschildt, who is in a rich vein of form. She won the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in November and backed this up with a December win in the Sunsmart Ironman, Western Australia, although the swim leg was cancelled at this event due to shark concerns.
These results were even more remarkable given that Hauschildt was returning from major surgery and only resumed training in October last year.
Hauschildt has an extensive background in athletics. Her success in the sport includes a Silver Medal in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and two bronze team medals at the World Cross-country Champs.
She made the transition from professional athlete to professional runner at the end of 2010 with her storied career continuing. She became the first female to win the 70.3 World Title twice in 2011 & 2013, and has won 3 World championships, 12 Australia championships, and 26 Half Ironman titles.
Hauschildt has a huge 2018 lined up with three world championships on the radar - the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Denmark in July, the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in South Africa in September, and the Ironman World Championships at Kona in October.
She wants to maintain her fitness through the summer, hence her trip to New Zealand and upcoming battle with Watkinson. The last time these two triathletes met was at the Asia-Pacific 70.3 Champs in Western Australia last November with Hauschildt winning that event, and Watkinson finishing third.
Hauschildt said – “I'm feeling good and feeling fit so hopefully I can continue on with some good racing through our summer. The Port of Tauranga Half will be my first race for 2018. I hope to have a great race here to set my year up well.”
The 2018 Port of Tauranga Half starts at 7:30am on Saturday, 20 January at Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui.
MALE PRO:
Brown, Cam
Wilde, Hayden
Phillips, Mike
Cochrane, Simon
McNeice, Dylan
O'Grady, Graham
Read, Carl
Davies-Campbell, Jai
Franklin, Matt
King, Malcolm
Moody, Jack
Paul, Cameron
Poole, Michael
FEMALE PRO:
Hauschildt, Melissa
Watkinson, Amelia
Adam, Teresa
Crawford, Gina
Clarke, Becs
Elliott, Rebecca
Meo, Pip