Racey 'girls' dress up Hamilton

KELLY HODEL/ Waikato Times

LOOKIN' GOOD: Radio DJ Chris "Curly'' Lloyd, left, and Round the Bridges organiser Kevin Endres near the finish line of yesterday's Drag Race down Victoria St.

Relevant offers

He was tipped as the lady-boy to beat, and when it came to the race, he dragged off the opposition with a withering final burst.

Wearing his girlfriend's light blue skirt, green singlet, pink lipstick and a dodgy brown wig, Hamilton's Nick Potter, 24, produced a superb sprinting performance to claim first place in the inaugural Round The Bridges men-dressed-as-ladies Drag Race down Hamilton's Victoria St yesterday.

Mr Potter led from start to finish in the 200-metre race through the CBD – a precursor to the 65th Round the Bridges race on Sunday.

The sprint began – appropriately – at the Riff Raff statue, and ended at Garden Place in front of a small but enthusiastic crowd.

The race requirement that runners wait for the "green man" light, outside SkyCity Casino, evened up the front-runners, but Mr Potter reclaimed his lead halfway across the pedestrian crossing and won by the length of two well-manicured fingernails.

"That ranks right up there. This will go in the scrapbook," Mr Potter told the Times as he gasped for breath immediately after his impressive victory. "For the first 100 metres, I was pretty happy, but Steve (Smith) caught up. When we hit those lights, I went for it. I'm very proud, and what a day."

Some competitors struggled with the pace of the race, particularly those in high heels. Round the Bridges organiser Kevin Endres was delighted to claim the "best dressed" award, chosen by a randomly selected – and somewhat puzzled – member of the public.

Wearing a shimmering silver top with a plunging neckline and a layered skirt in white tulle, Mr Endres said he purchased his ensemble specifically for the event.

- © Fairfax NZ News