Elliott, 30, stormed his way to victory in the Longest Day last year after snatching a handy 7min lead off the 33km alpine run up Deception Valley and over Goat Pass to Klondyke.
His endurance and fitness kept him zoned in over the 67km kayak stage and 70km bike to the finish at New Brighton, where he broke the tape in an impressive 10hr 48min 53sec.
One of Elliott’s main rivals, 2023 champion Scott Manson (Canterbury), will not be competing this year.
But Tasmanian multisporter Alex Hunt, the runner-up last year, world ironman representative Ben Phillips and fellow Cantabrian Ryan Kiesanowski, and four-time champion Sam Clark, of Whangarei, are sure to make for an epic battle up front.
Hunt will be eager to take the silverware across the ditch for the first time since John Jacoby, of Melbourne, won the title in 1993.
Hunt was third in 2023 and stormed into second place last year, smashing the race record for the 70km bike from Gorge Bridge to New Brighton and establishing a scorching time of 1hr 31min 28sec.
He is coached by multiple Halberg Award winner Gordon Walker, coach of Olympic kayaking champion Lisa Carrington and himself a three-time Coast to Coast Longest Day champion.
Despite the pedigree of his main rivals for Saturday’s defence of his world championship of multisport title, Elliott is confident of mastering the 243km course and going back-to-back.
"It’s been a big summer and I’ve put a lot of emphasis back in my paddling once again. It would be fair to say that’s the juggernaut of that race."
Elliott said the prospect of a low river this year might play into his hands.
The battle with Clark could be a feature of this year’s race.
"I’m excited at the prospect of racing Sam again," he said.
"I have a lot of respect for him and know with him there it won’t be easy. I think racing Sam, you find out where you stand. So it’s pretty exciting."
Elliott said he took a lot of confidence out of his victory last year.
"I’m just looking at putting another clean race together. It’s a race in which the least amount of mistakes you make and the smoother you can get through, the better you will end up at the end of the day as opposed to trying to really
rip."
Since coming under the coaching regime of James Munro, Elliott’s kayaking ability has gone from strength to strength.
"He’s lifted my paddle game again this year and he’s slogged me for the past four months, so I have to put out a good race for him.’’
Elliott knows there will be plenty of challengers for his crown.
"To win it, I think I’ll have to go as deep as I have ever done to beat those guys," he said.
