Challenge Wanaka

A mother, farmer's wife, volunteer firefighter and endurance athlete became a lifesaver during Saturday's Challenge Wanaka event.

It was a dream race for Dougal Allan on Saturday as the hometown boy won Challenge Wanaka, while first-time entrant Yvonne van Vlerken held on for the women's title.

The hat trick, the treble, the triple crown, or perhaps the ''tri tri'' - whatever you prefer to call it - Christchurch's Dylan McNeice now has it, after winning yesterday's Challenge Wanaka triathlon in commanding style.

Multisporter Dougal Allan's long-distance triathlon debut at Challenge Wanaka on Saturday could signal the beginning of a promising career in the sport after the hometown hero clinched third place in the men's elite field.

Challenge Wanaka would be held a month later than its traditional race weekend next year, organisers announced yesterday.

A near-perfect race for Dylan McNeice at Challenge Wanaka on Saturday secured him the event's first male back-to-back victories, while first-time female champion Candice Hammond was ''shocked'' to hold on for first place in a hard-fought women's race.

Among the many athletic achievements at today's Challenge Wanaka, crossing the finish line will mark a bigger milestone than most for Jonathan Simpson and Mark Smoothy, who hope to complete their 40th long-distance triathlon.

For the first time in Challenge Wanaka history, a paratriathlete will take on the Lake Wanaka Half triathlon today.

Defending Challenge Wanaka champions Gina Crawford and Dylan McNeice have their sights set firmly on back-to-back victories at this Saturday's long distance triathlon.

As the annual Challenge Wanaka festival of sporting events began yesterday, organisers issued an appeal for more volunteers at this weekend's flagship race.

Christchurch triathletes Dylan McNeice and Gina Crawford are the 2013 Challenge Wanaka champions after setting commanding leads over the field in windy conditions today.

By the time thousands of Challenge Wanaka competitors begin their exercise in extreme endurance this morning, Wanaka GP Andrew McLeod (53, pictured above) will have already swum the equivalent of 152 lengths of Moana Pool and biked the equivalent distance in kilometres from Dunedin to Christchurch.

They call themselves ''the repeat offenders'' - seven blokes who have competed in all six previous individual full-distance Challenge Wanaka triathlons.

Can she win the Challenge Wanaka triathlon for a fifth time? That was the big question hanging over the head of Gina Crawford when she fronted a media conference in Wanaka yesterday.

Andrew Sloan's profile on the Balmacewen Intermediate website refers to him as an ''endurance sport junkie and fitness freak''.