HYDROTHON ARTICLE

WATER COMES OUT ON TOP

Around 12,000 Wellingtonians participated in the first annual Hydrothon race yesterday. The newly formed track held true to form withstanding loads nearing 400kg per square meter. There were categories for all abilities including, a 12km fun run, half marathon men and women, as well as the bionics race; the winner of the open half marathon being bionic runner Jacob Josephs, completing the 21km half marathon course in 43:27. Benjamin Williams was the first natural runner completing the half marathon in 1:01:12.

The half marathon kicked off at 8.30am and ran from Oriental bay, passing Eastbourne, Petone, Ngauranga and finally finishing back at Oriental Bay. Whilst the fun run took a more leisurely route straight out to Somes Island, via Ngauranga and finishing back at Oriental Bay.

Williams felt the fluid track was more forgiving than road running “I did leave the race feeling my knees felt fine, which was odd, normally they feel hammered after running a half. My time was faster too, I think the track actually has a slight bounce to it. You’ll see me run sub one hour next year.”

The fun run was well received by all involved. Organizers Brent and Kimberly Lewis had intended it to be a “sensory experience, for Wellingtonians to get back in touch with the qualities of the ocean. Wellington harbour is the perfect location too, taking running around the waterfront to the next level”.

It was lucky that the weather had been as good as it was, with disputes between Weta Film, who had scheduled rain all week for their filming on Mt Victoria, and event organizers only the night prior. After mediation the two came to a compromise allowing sunshine between 8am and 11am, unfortunate for the slower entrants who finished the course in heavy rain.

This event was only made possible after the discovery of “Jesus’ Trestle” in 2037. Jesus’ Trestle is a porous structured microorganism that moves with the surface of the water. It is light enough to float but rigidly built to hold heavy weights. It dissolves and reforms to gain its strength; intertwining more and more each time. Its structure mimics, the man made material, metal foam, but can be dissolved in water so allows a more natural disposable.

Wellington has harvested and molded its shape to allow for the event to take place with the track being marked out with buoys. There was only one incident of a person falling into the water as he attempted to cut the course. John Dixon thought he could cut from the Petone peak to the finish line at Oriental Bay. Unfortunately, the trestle was only covering the course area, with a width of 1km and he fell in. Luckily there were rescue boats on stand by and they picked him up, but he was disqualified from the competition.