He may be a familiar figure in his home town of Whakatane, the North Island stronghold for multisport and adventure racing, but for the Kumara-born Clark, his West Coast roots are now firmly embedded in the Coast to Coast Longest Day race. His name is inscribed alongside those of legends of the event such as Steve Gurney (nine titles), Richard Ussher (five) and John Jacoby, Gordon Walker and Braden Currie (all with three).
"They call this the Longest Day for a reason, and what a long day it is,’’ Clark said at the finish at New Brighton on Saturday.
"I was up before four this morning getting breakfast and stretching and all that sort of garbage and here I am now, quarter past five and on the east coast. Aw man, there is no better feeling in the world than to win this race."
Clark got involved up front early in the 3km run from the beach to the first cycle stage. It was in this 55km cycle stage to Aickens that he appeared to ride within himself among the leading group of 12.
After a finely tuned transition to the 33km alpine run, he monstered the terrain, putting to bed the challenges of Hamish Elliott (Gore) and Alex Hunt (Tasmania) on the unforgiving stage up and over Goat Pass, to go back on to the bike at Klondyke with a 3min lead. He extended this on the 15km cycle to Mount White Bridge and the 6km kayak stage, emerging at Gorge Bridge holding a 20min lead over Hunt, who had established himself in second place. Then, taking nothing for granted, Clark rode with a huge gear engaged through to the finish 70km later at New Brighton in 11hr 14min 33sec, well clear of Hunt, who broke the tape in 11hr 43min 57sec. Fellow Australian James Pretto was third in 11hr 53min 5sec.
"There wasn’t so much of a headwind,’’ Clark said of the 70km bike to the finish.
"I was just thinking, like I was riding though wet sand and I just thought ahhh ... If I blow it or crash ...
"Basically, my mission for the day was to out-eat my competition," he said of loading himself with 1.2kg of sugar over the final stage of the 243km event.
Clark said he enjoyed the mountain run and working with Elliott, crediting that with setting him up with such a big lead. But at no stage was he sure he had sealed the victory.
"You take nothing for granted in this race.
"It ain’t over ’til it’s over. Anything can happen. Somebody can open a car door on you; I mean, anything can happen. This is a highly complex race. And all the stars have to be in line for everybody to get from one side of the country to the other, let alone to win the race. Oh man! I’m just so happy and so grateful that everything went to plan."
