ECKSTEIN AND MARRIOTT CHASING A SLICE OF COOLANGATTA GOLD HISTORY
November 5: On the eve of the running of the tenth Coolangatta Gold, on Sunday, Ian Hanson runs his eyes over the men's and women's fields with this preview of the iconic endurance Ironman event.
Caine Eckstein goes into the 2010 Coolangatta Gold as a red hot favourite to continue his history-making assault on the race he has made his own with victories in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
On form the 24-year-old from the Gold Coast should celebrate the 10th staging of the iconic Coolangatta Gold with a fourth victory from four starts.
Caine is a complete Ironman who has chalked up some great performances in open water ski events; is an outstanding swimmer and board paddler and natural-born runner. He doesn't have a weak leg.
The big question will be, weather and conditions pending, whether Eckstein can smash the four hour barrier?
He has the armory to cope with anything Mother Nature throws up on the day and knows the coastline from Kurrawa to Coolangatta like back of his hand.
Expect Caine and the grand old man of Ironman racing Dean Mercer to work together during the 23km ski paddle to Coolangatta. Despite Mercer's 40 years, he is likely to remain with his younger rival on the ski and through the 3.5km swim through the sheltered waters of Bilinga.
It's the four kilometre run into Currumbin where Eckstein will try and break Mercer and the other contenders, who are likely to come from former swim star-turned-Ironman Josh Minogue, Northcliffe's emerging star Cory Hill, Cronulla's Mark Simpson and Wanda's Ben Squiers.
All have Coolangatta Gold form. Hill was fourth last year, Minogue sixth, Squiers eighth and Simpson tenth.
Minogue and Simpson are likely to make their move on the swim to ensure they are well placed to negotiate the opening run leg before the board leg from Currumbin to Burleigh.
Mercer will try and conserve his legs during the paddle into Burleigh before the gruelling 10km run to Northcliffe and the return to the finishing arch in front of the Kurrawa SLSC for.
For Mercer it will be a sentimental journey in a race he has become so attached to since 1991, some 25 years since his Ironman career began.
Mercer has the utmost respect of every competitor but with neice Jordan (brother Darren's 16-year-old daughter) attempting her first Coolangatta Gold, the Mercer name is sure to be associated with Ironman racing for a long time to come.
Jordan will be among the youngest competitors, a handful of 16-year-olds including the youngest Oliva Hall (Northcliffe), Miranda Davies (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) who was 14th last year and Danielle Allen (Alexandra Headlands).
But if any of these girls can finish in the top 10 then their Ironwoman careers are off and running in a major way.
At the top end of the women's field will be defending champion and two-time winner Alicia Marriott, who has quickly developed into the complete Ironwoman as she chases Hayley Bateup's record of three victories in the Coolangatta Gold.
Bateup, who will miss her first Gold since the first race in 2005 due to shoulder surgery, took the title that year and added her second in 2006 and her third in 2008.
Marriott was second to Bateup in 2005; didn't race in 2006; won her first title in 2007 and returned to win title number two 
over Bateup in 2009.
Like Eckstein, she has the runs on the board and she has certainly gone from strength to strength since making the move from Perth to Michael King's stable on the Sunshine Coast two years ago.
A brilliant board paddler and swimmer, Marriott has certainly improved her ski paddling and running under King and now presents the complete package.
But sure to push Marriott will be podium finishers Liz Pluimers (third in 2005 and 2006 and second in 2007) and Courtney Hancock (second in 2008 and third 2009).
Pluimers will be looking to dispel the demons from last year when she got to within 20 metres of the finish and collapsed from exhaustion.
Also watch out for Bonnie Hancock, who was fifth last year and will be making her moves on the board leg out of Currumbin alley and the swim from Burleigh Heads to North Burleigh, as she chases her first podium finish.
Others to keep an eye on will be Maroubra's Tara Coleman, who was 13th last year as well as Northcliffe's Harriet Brown and ski specialist Sheree Merryful.
COOLANGATTA GOLD - FOR THE RECORD
For the record there have been six winners of Australia's iconic 46km Ironman Endurance race - first raced in 1984 as the Coolangatta Gold Ironman Triaquathon and three winners of the Gold Coast Gold.
- Guy Leech won the inaugural Coolangatta Gold in 1984 and successfully defended his crown in 1985 before winning the first of three Gold Coast Golds in 1989.
- Michael King then added his name to the coveted Coolangatta Gold Trophy list in 1991 ahead of Darren Mercer and David Kissane.
- Darren Mercer then became the fourth victor in 1992, reversing the result over King, with Dean Mercer emerging for his first podium finish.
- When the Coolangatta Gold returned in 2005 it was Caine Eckstein's calling to emerge from his brother Shannon's shadow to post the first of his three victories. Shannon would finish third with Jeremy Cotter second.
- In 2006 and in Caine's absence it gave Zane Holmes the chance to add the great race to his long list of Ironman titles with Nathan Smith second and Dean Mercer again third.
- In 2007 there was a surprise winner in Rhys Drury who beat Shannon Eckstein and Drew Cairncross before;
- Caine Eckstein returned in 2008 to assert his authority on the race to beat Tim Peach and Nathan Smith.
- Caine returned in 2009 to smash the race record in a time of 4 hours 00.51 seconds and stamp himself as Australia's premier Ironman surf sports endurance athlete with Dean Mercer second and Nathan Smith third.
- Jonathan Crowe in 1991 and Scott Reeves in 1995 were the other two winners of the Gold Coast Gold events.
- In the women's event, Hayley Bateup won the first of her three Coolangatta Golds in 2005 and added second and third titles in 2006 and 2008.
- Alicia Marriott won her titles in 2007 and 2009.
BROADCAST DETAILS
The 2010 Coolangatta Gold will be televised on ONE HD Sunday November 7 (Race Day) from 2.00 - 5.00pm (check local
EVENT FAST FACTS...
PAST COOLANGATTA GOLD WINNERS
1984 January 7
Guy Leech (Manly) 4:30.46
1985 January 5
Guy Leech (Manly) 4.20.14
1991 October 12
Michael King (Mooloolaba)
1992
Darren Mercer (Thirroul)
2005 October 16
Open Men
Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe) 4.20.14hrs
Open Women
Hayley Bateup (Northcliffe) 2.25.45hrs
2006 October 17
Open Men
Zane Holmes (Northcliffe) 4.25.01hrs
Open Women
Hayley Bateup (Northcliffe) 3.17.13hrs
2007 October 14
Open Men
Rhys Drury (Mooloolaba) 4:10:58
Open Women
Alicia Marriott (City of Perth) 3.22.33 2
2008 October 19
Open Men
Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe) 04:14:15
Open Women
Hayley Bateup (Kurrawa) 03:18:45
2009 October 18
Open Men
Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe) 4:00.51
Open Women
Alicia Marriott (Mooloolaba) 3:15.39
GOLD COAST GOLD WINNERS
1989
Guy Leech
1991
Jonathan Crowe
1995
Scott Reeves
RACE START TIMES - All events will start from Kurrawa Beach
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Sunday 7th November 2010 |
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TIME |
DETAILS |
WHO |
VENUE |
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7.00am |
Race Start |
Teams - Men & Mixed |
Kurrawa Beach |
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7.05am |
Race Start |
Teams U19 Men & Mixed |
Kurrawa Beach |
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7.10am |
Race Start |
Masters Men |
Kurrawa Beach |
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7.20am |
Race Start |
U19 Men |
Kurrawa Beach |
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7.30am |
Race Start |
Teams Open & U19 Women |
Kurrawa Beach |
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7.45am |
Race Start |
Masters Men |
Kurrawa Beach |
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8.20am |
Race Start |
Open Men |
Kurrawa Beach |
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8:50am |
Race Start |
Open Women |
Kurrawa Beach |
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1:30pm |
Medal Presentation to 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each category |
Competitors |
Kurrawa Beach |
COURSE DETAILS - Open Male, Masters Men 30-39, Masters Male 40+, Open Men or Mixed Teams, U19 Men/Mixed teams
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Open Men, 30-39 Men, 40+ Men, Teams |
Cut-off time |
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1st Leg |
Surf Ski |
Kurrawa to Northcliffe to TH&C SLSC |
23.00km |
1hr 10min after leader |
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2nd Leg |
Beach Run (1st) |
TH&C SLSC to Coolangatta SLSC |
0.65km |
1hr 10min after leader |
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3rd Leg |
Swim |
Coolangatta SLSC to Bilinga SLSC |
3.50km |
1hr 25min after leader |
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4th Leg |
Beach Run (2nd) |
Bilinga SLSC to Currumbin SLSC |
4.00km |
1hr 30min after leader |
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5th Leg |
Board |
Currumbin SLSC to Burleigh Heads SLSC |
5.50km |
1hr 40min after leader |
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6th Leg |
Beach Run (3rd) |
Burleigh Heads SLSC to Northcliffe to Kurrawa |
10.00km |
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TOTAL DISTANCE |
46.65km |
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COURSE DETAILS - Open Women, Masters Women 30+, U19 Male, All Women's Teams
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Open Women, 30+ Women, U/19 Men |
Cut-off time |
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1st Leg |
Surf Ski |
Kurrawa to Northcliffe to Currumbin SLSC |
15.00km |
35 min after leader |
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2nd Leg |
Run |
Currumbin SLSC to Currumbin Creek |
1.0km |
35 min after leader |
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3rd Leg |
Board |
Currumbin Creek to Burleigh Heads SLSC |
4.50km |
60 min after leader |
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4th Leg |
Swim |
Burleigh Heads SLSC to Nth Burleigh Headland |
2.50km |
1hr 30min after leader |
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5th Leg |
Beach Run |
North Burleigh to Northcliffe to Kurrawa |
7.50km |
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TOTAL DISTANCE |
30.50km |
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