The Huka River Swim has crowned its champions, with Alex Dunkley taking the fastest overall time and Laura Quilter leading the women's field in Saturday's 3.3km Waikato River event. Dunkley finished in 26 minutes 26 seconds, while Quilter clocked an impressive 28 minutes 25 seconds.
"I'd put it as one of the best swims on the calendar that's for sure," said Dunkley, who also won the all ages men's, under 20s men's, and the new 30-second upstream sprint.
The accomplished swimmer, who has podium finishes in events such as the Queensland Open Water Championships and the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, will return to Taupō next weekend for the Rotary Across the Lake Swim as a first-time entrant.
His victory in the upstream sprint – a gruelling fight against the current that attracted 10 participants – earned him a $100 tab at the Two Mile Bay Sailing Centre. "It was definitely a challenge. You weren't going anywhere at the start and then I sort of found a flat patch and managed to pull away," Dunkley said.
Race organizer Adam McDonald, in his second year of running the event with Euphoria Management Group, reported approximately 400 swimmers participated in this unique event. He acknowledged the support from Mercury Energy, the Taupō District Council, the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, the Coastguard, the Pukehina Swim Club, and local volunteers who provided safety personnel.
McDonald expressed his commitment to maintaining the event – originally started by Peter Cook – and aims to establish it as a permanent fixture on the Taupō event calendar.
