With 5km to go in the Tauranga Half, triathlete Kyle Smith was not in a good way as he rounded the Mauao base track.
"I was in a lot of pain. I was kind of light-headed and on the edge.
"I was thinking I would have to pull out. The
Tauranga Half: Kyle Smith, Teresa Adam set new course records
Tauranga Half winner Kyle Smith crosses the finish line, collapsing moments later. Photo / Kelsi Paige Photography
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"I got in the swim and I wasn't feeling amazing, and then I got on the bike and I just couldn't really hit the power that I really wanted to," Smith said.
"On the run, I felt good for 10km then all of a sudden I just felt like I ran into a brick wall."
He pushed through and held his lead, but with just 600m of the 21km run remaining, he could hear Wanaka's Braden Curry, 34, on his heels.
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"I kind of just gave it everything, just opened up the taps, whatever was left in the tank - the adrenalin or whatever it was - I managed to just bring it home. Then the lights went out."
He took the finish line tape and collapsed on the ground, lying prone for a few minutes before returning to his feet.
Smith finished the race in 3 hours, 39 minutes and 43 seconds, shaving a couple of minutes off the course record he set last year and beating Curry by just 10 seconds.
Later Smith, who was still hurting, told the Bay of Plenty Times the win was worth the pain.
"Now I can bask in this euphoria of winning. I can celebrate now with my family and my friends, and it's a good time, whereas I know that if I fell apart, I'd be disappointed.
"I chase that feeling of winning and being the best and that's what motivates me every day."
He was looking forward to recovering in the spa at his mum and dad's home in Cambridge and having a laugh with his family, who were on the sidelines supporting him.
Mum Gillian said she was "super, super proud" and brother Ryan quipped that "maybe one day he'll be as fast as me".
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In the women's race, Aucklander Teresa Adam, 30, took the win for the first time in Tauranga, setting a new course record of three hours, 57 minutes and one second.
She smashed the women's course record set by former Olympic triathlete Samantha Warriner in 2009 by more than 13 minutes.
Adam was second out of the water but came out of an incredible bike leg with a more than four-minute lead over two-time defending champion, Tauranga's Dr Hannah Wells.
Wells had a strong run but could not quite close the gap, saying "mistakes" on the bike leg had "come back to bite". She said it was still special to compete in her hometown with so many friends and family racing and cheering her on.
Adam said she was "stoked" to take the title.
"It's one of the biggest, longest-running races in New Zealand so it's pretty prestigious. All of the top Kiwi triathletes have come and there have been some pretty high profile champions here over the years so to win this one is awesome."
She was planning to celebrate with a burger and chips but said she would not rest long, with more events to come this summer, including defending her 2020 Ironman New Zealand pro female win.
The Tauranga Half, in its 32nd year, is the pinnacle event in the seven-year-old Mount Festival of Multisport.
Just shy of 1700 athletes competed in events ranging from the 143km Enduro triathalon to a 5km run on Saturday.
Festival director Lauren Watson said the festival sold out for just the second time ever and participation was up about 35 per cent on any other year.
"It's been a phenomenal day. Broken course records, sold out, sunny: it has been one of the best days in this event's history."
About 250 volunteers supported the 12-strong management team on the day, with assistance from the "triathlon family".
She said community support had been also amazing - from sponsors to residents along the race route with garden hoses.
Partially closing down a highway for the race was a first for any New Zealand triathlon, Watson said. Feedback from athletes had been positive and she hoped to repeat it next year.
It was not just podium finishers having a good time.
Mount Maunganui's Frank Smith, 27, competed in the half. It was his third time in that distance but first time at his home event.
"It was really cool to be able to race and train on the same course."
Rotorua 10km runner Bev McLaren, 60, said the course offered "one of the most beautiful runs in the world" and it was great to see the festival so well supported and people happy.
"It's great to see New Zealanders out here of all different shapes and sizes."
Tauranga Half top times
Elite Men's
1. Kyle Smith (Cambridge) - 3:39:43
2. Braden Currie (Wanaka) - 3:39:53
3. Jack Moody (Auckland) - 3:40:19
Elite Women's
1. Teresa Adam (Auckland) - 3:57:01
2. Hannah Wells (Tauranga) - 4:01:46
3. Rebecca Clarke (Auckland) - 4:15:14
