GEELONG’S Grant Suckling employed the wisdom of his little girl to win the Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race on Sunday morning, crossing the line before a crowd of 3,000-plus spectators, just 30 seconds ahead of arch rival Perth’s Sean O’Neill.

At one stage Suckling was convinced he’d lost the race to five-time WA triathlon of the year O’Neill, who was race favourite after claiming open men’s line honours in the last two Anaconda Adventure Races in Queensland and Western Australia.

Suckling finished second and 2.5 minutes behind O’Neill at the Augusta race last month, but prior to Sunday’s race felt his training regimen, strong competitive record this year, a desperate need to win, and his new “secret weapon” kayak the Think Uno would hold him in good stead.

When Suckling thought he’d lost the race he gave himself a “good talking to” and adopted his seven-year-old daughter Emily’s mantra – “it’s supposed to hurt a little bit” to spur himself on.

In an absolute nail-biter of a race, it wasn’t until the last 80 metres that Suckling knew he had it in the bag.

Amid a field of almost 1,200 competitors from all over Australia O’Neill emerged from the 1.9km ocean swim with a lead of more than four minutes over Suckling.

But the 35-year-old father of two made up the difference on the 3km ocean paddle, recording a time of six minutes quicker than O’Neill, 26.

Suckling lost the lead on the 14km coastal trail run to O’Neill, who then found it tough going on the 24km mountain bike leg.

“During the mountain bike I thought, Sean’s probably finished the race by now, then all of a sudden I rode round a corner and I watched Sean fall off,” Suckling said.

O’Neill made a quick recovery but Suckling rode around him after his second fall on the steep descent.
“I rode down that hill flat-out and nailed every corner,” Suckling said.

“I got down to the beach, put on my shoes and started running but I didn’t know I was going to win it until I was 80 or 100 metres out.”

Desperate to make the Lorne event an Anaconda Adventure Race hat-trick O’Neill didn’t have time to remove his bike helmet or put on his shoes for the final 1.5km beach run, and was relegated to second place as Suckling crossed the finish line with his daughter Emily, seven, who ran the last 50 metres with him.

Ultimately Suckling finished in 3hr:57min:32sec. O’Neill finished on 3hr:58min:02sec.

“Oh mate, this is beyond comprehension, it’s a massive big deal,” Suckling said at the finish line.
“I’m ecstatic, it was a fairy tale,” said Suckling, who had dreamed of crossing the finish line with his daughter.

Former world marathon kayaking champion Chad Meek, of Mansfield, was third in the open men’s class on 4hr:14min:47 seconds, professional triathlete Luke Bell of Melbourne was fourth on 4hr:17min:31sec, and Melbourne’s Alexandra Houghton was fifth in 4hr:18min:42sec.

Event manager, Rapid Ascent’s Sam Maffett said Luke Bell won the swim leg, followed by Torquay’s Tristan Read, with O’Neill in third place.

After that it was a two horse race with Suckling or O’Neill claiming victory on each leg.

“It was a very close and fantastic race and full compliments go to both Grant and Sean,” Mr Maffett said.

“It was an exciting race because the lead changed at the end of every leg. Sean had a couple of crashes on the bike because on the descent he was going so hard to try and catch Grant.”

Veteran women’s competitor Kim Beckinsale, 42, of Noosa, was first individual woman over the line with a time of 5hr:4min:22sec.

Mansfield’s Skye Taylor was second in 5hr:8min:32sec. Torquay’s Peri Gray was third on 5hr:20min:49sec.

The first team was St Kilda’s Cotton On, with a time of 3hr:47min:45sec.

Beckinsale claims Anaconda hat-trick

WHEN Noosa’s Kim Beckinsale lost her way in the run leg of Sunday’s Anaconda Adventure Race at Lorne, she was convinced a jinx had returned to rob her of a hat-trick, but the veteran’s gritty style saw her regain the women’s lead and win by more than four minutes.

Beckinsale, 42, was race favourite, but felt a hex had always stopped her from winning three events in a row.
She won the women’s categories in the Queensland and Western Australian Anaconda Adventure Races in spring and was afraid to dream of making it a hat-trick at Lorne, in Victoria.

“I was fine in the 1.9km swim – I didn’t freeze or get cramps which was fantastic, and I was third female starting out on the 13km paddle,” Beckinsale said.

“I had a pretty good transition and felt fantastic on the run, and then I went the wrong way. I ended up on a big open fire trail, I ran through this big creek and uphill to a dam and there were about 20 of us running around going ‘Oh my God, where are we?’

“When I went the wrong way I thought ‘Oh yeah, that’s my jinx coming through’.

“I think I lost about 10 minutes so I had to absolutely hammer it, I didn’t ever give up.”

Beckinsale was shattered at the start of the 24km mountain bike ride but maintained a consistent pace.
About 12 km into the ride she caught female leader Skye Taylor, of Mansfield in Victoria’s High Country, but didn’t know if there were other women ahead of Taylor.

“When I finished the bike leg I heard I was in the lead so I had a nice run down the beach in my socks,” Beckinsale said.

“I’m pretty stoked,” said Beckinsale, who within a few hours of finishing became so hungry she ran to the shops to buy pizza for a celebratory dinner.

Amid a field of almost 1,200 competitors Beckinsale recorded a finish time of 5hr:4min:22sec to claim her third consecutive Anaconda Adventure Race.

Taylor, 26, completed the course in 5hr:8:min:32sec and Torquay’s Peri Gray crossed the line after 5hr:20min:49sec.

The win caps off an exciting year for Sunshine Beach physical education teacher Beckinsale, who came to adventure racing after fracturing her spine. She was hit by a car on her road bike. Her subsequent fear of road riding saw her give away triathlons, take up mountain biking and convert to adventure racing.

The open men’s winner of the Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race was Geelong’s Grant Suckling, 35, with a time of 3hr:57min:32sec. Perth’s Sean O’Neill, 26, finished second on 3hr:58min:02sec, and Taylor’s partner Chad Meek was third open male.

The first team was St Kilda’s Cotton On, with a time of 3hr:47min:45sec.

Picture shows Lorne Anaconda Adventure Race women’s winner Kim Beckinsale competing on Sunday, December 6.