New Zealand's biggest MTBO event, the Cyclic Saga last weekend, was won by a mixed pair, Keith and Andrea Murray of Christchurch. They beat last year's winners Rhys and Charlie Palmer by 555 points to 550. The Murrays are outstanding multisport athletes, both holding course records for the South Island Coast to Coast event, and experience in endurance team events.
The Saga is a two-day rogaine-style event, except that there is a compulsory overnight campsite. It has been run near Christchurch for five years now, on the rugged Banks Peninsula which is a series of extinct volcanoes rising to 1000m above sea level. Controls were scattered over 250 sq.km, and travel was allowed by any combination of road, farm track and cross-country, although the steep terrain and persistent rain made the last unattractive except for short distances. The event for teams of at least two attracted a capacity entry of 300 from all over NZ.
After the 7 hours on Day 1 the Murrays had already stamped their mark on the event with a score of 330, 30 clear of the top mens teams and 50 ahead of their rival mixed teams and the leading veterans. On the 6-hour second day they top-scored 240 with last year's mixed winners Simon Adams and Mandy Holstock, and even with a 15-point lateness penalty stayed ahead to win the mounted chain-ring trophy.
Meanwhile the mens title had been given to Hamish Seaton and Justin Freeman (529 points) but an overlooked clip brought the Palmer brothers into the front with 550. Seaton and Freeman are among a handful of competitors who have done all five Sagas.
The veterans category was won by Peter Squires and Michael Wood (475 points)
and the womens category by Emma Field and Ginny le Bas (370).