Ideal Conditions Make for Great Day at MLT Moonshine Trail (Results)

Close to perfect conditions greeted about 400 participants in the
MLT Moonshine Trail on Saturday (10 th February), as they took to the Hokonui Hills for the popular annual event.

Mountain bikers, runners, walkers and duathletes took on courses spanning 5km to 50km as they tackled often steep climbs, farm tracks, gravel roads, river crossings and everything in between.

Ideal conditions made for hard and fast tracks – and plenty of finish line smiles at the picturesque Dolamore Park, near Gore.

Sport Southland Events Manager Matt Sillars said the MLT Moonshine Trail, now in its 12th year, was an event that offered participants a good challenge alongside a friendly and
relaxed atmosphere and Saturday proved no different.

“As usual, there has been overwhelmingly positive feedback about the day,” he said.
“The weather in the lead up to the event made for some pretty outstanding course conditions this year, which I’m sure participants enjoyed, and the pleasant weather on the day only added to that.”

About 400 participants took part in Saturday’s event, across six distance options including
the CrossRoad Cycles 50km mountain bike, Southland Isuzu 39km MTB, Ewan Allan Honda 30km MTB, Shoe Clinic 15km Run, MLT 5km Run/Walk and the Macpac Duathlon. Most courses traversed private farmland only opened for one day a year.

Sillars said while participants came from all over Southland and Otago, the way the Eastern Southland community embraced the event with its hospitality, sponsorship and volunteer support made the MLT Moonshine Trail a special event.

The results showed some good competitive racing, through to some superb efforts from
those taking on a personal challenge or their first event, which Sillars said was testament to the nature of what was a great event for participants of all levels.

In the top placings, Lumsden’s Gene Marsh was the fastest male over the CrossRoad
Cycles 50km mountain bike event, with Dunedin’s Hayley Van Leeuwen the fastest woman.

In the Southland Isuzu 39km

Invercargill’s Carey McDowall was the top male, with Karina
Anderson, of Arrowtown, the best of the females over that distance.
Gore’s Adrian Latta took out the male title in the Ewan Allan Honda 30km MTB, while Invercargill’s Cathy Jordan won the female section.
Bannockburn runner Richie Ford won the Shoe Clinic 15km run, and Otautau’s Angela Ryan was the fastest female.

The MLT 5km Run

Won by Andrew Kirk, and Gore youngster Ella Brown was the top female.

In the Macpac Duathlon

Winton’s Austin Leith covered the 30km mountain bike and 5km run in the fastest time, and Dunedin’s Sarah Saunderson-Warner won the female title.Full provisional results can be found at moonshinetrail.co.nz.

EVENT WINNERS

CrossRoad Cycles 50km MTB