You're never too old, they reckon

COLIN SMITH/Nelson mail

BE PREPARED: Superintendent Gary Knowles, Tasman District police commander, out training for the Coast to Coast.

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Brian Matheson says he's doing next weekend's Coast to Coast because he's not ready yet to play golf or join the male voice choir. At 62 he's among the older competitors in this year's race, but by no means the oldest.

Among the Nelson competitors, that honour is held by Mike Ward, who at 67 is about to embark on his 28th race across the South Island.

Despite a niggling foot injury and the fact that his rising sun shorts and candy-striped tights are past their best, Ward's optimistic that he can bluff his way past the cutoff times and finish the race.

Age is a bit of a theme, with Rob Marshall claiming that at 45 he's too young to quit, but old enough to know better.

Marshall has definite views on what it takes to complete the race:

"I have always maintained that anyone who doesn't have a genuine physical reason for not doing it is capable of completing this race. What it takes is a conscious decision to set aside appropriate time [and money – if you start from scratch, it's pretty expensive], and I am convinced that 95 per cent of the population would be able to do it if they wanted to.

"I think it's very easy for people to get distracted by the rock stars of the event, and forget about the majority of the competitors and the variations of size, age, fitness levels etc. that still compete. It's actually a universal sort of event, and be warned, it gets into your blood."

While it can be expensive to mount a campaign, Craig Jones hasn't let that put him off.

He signs his emails "Craig `on the cheap' Jones".

"All my equipment is on loan from people I don't know.

"The kayak is from Wade from Heslops Engineering. Wade did the Coast to Coast with his wife in a team and when I told him what I was doing, he just offered his $2000 kayak – the Coast to Coast spirit is alive and kicking."

It was the same with the wheels. A friend of a friend just volunteered a $2500 bike.

After completing his grade two kayak certificate with Nathan Fa'Avae, Jones says he's set to go and hoping for a finish in the top 100 of the two-day field.

One Nelson team that won't be taking any prisoners are top cops Gary Knowles and Grant O'Fee, racing under the glamorous team name Old Broken Arses.

O'Fee has copped the first-day cycle and the day-two kayak leg – a change from his normal favoured aquatic sport of sea swimming.

"The bike I'm used to and presents few problems, but the four-hour kayaks are a challenge. However, I feel as though I'm ready and the issue will be staying upright."

One of the more interesting partnerships is that between Nelson nurse Irene Minchin and American Scott Sekelsky, racing under the team name Nuclear Free New Zealand. Sekelsky hasn't had the benefit of summer weather to train in. In fact he's done a fair amount of his aerobic work on snow shoes in wintry Wisconsin.

The pair haven't yet met, but Minchin says they're going to have a good time, while husband Nelson Batt goes all out in a solo two-day performance.