by James Jordan, Sumner Newscow — Anders Spinalators started out strong, took the lead after the third event and never looked back on its way to winning the 25th Great Race in Wellington Saturday. Temperatures were well into the 90s and it was smooth sailing for Anders and the crew. (see Great Race photo gallery here). 

Usually some adversity strikes and impacts the outcome of the race, and it struck the defending Great Race Champions Dore Enchies this year.

The Enchies jumped out to a quick lead and led the first two events, and they were in second after the cross country portion, and that is when disaster struck. In the motorcycle portion of the race, a mechanical failure caused the Dore’s bike to stop running and the rider had to push the bike to the transition line. That put the Enchies in ninth place. They did manage to get back into third before the race ended.

Placings after each race.

“Everything has to go right,” said Jason Rausch, an Anders team member, after the race.

Last year, Anders had a dropped spike, and a problem at the canoe exchange, and they ended up second.

“It went real smooth,” said John Anders, team captain. “It was a little hot and that may have slowed times a little.”

They both praised their horse that ran well. The run is long for a horse especially in hot weather.

“If there is anyone in front of him, he will catch them,” Rausch said.

Anders Spinalators takes back the crown.

Anders winning time was 44 minutes and 30 seconds. Security State Bank Big Bucks were second at 46:40 and the Enchies were third at 48:30.

Anders and Rausch said the hardest thing is getting a team together, and getting people committed to showing up and running, cycling, canoeing or any of the other 13 events.

At one time Rausch ran a team but now he runs with the Anders team.

Security State Bank Big Bucks finishes second.

The Security State team got into second by the fourth event and held that position throughout the race.

The race starts with a 360 yard sprint, followed by a three-quarter mile run, and then a cross country run. From there comes the Motorcross motorcycle event, followed by another three quarters of a mile run, then there is the mile and a half horse race, a bicycle run and two one-mile runs. From there there is a two-part canoe race, and the event ends with two running events.

Team captains from the first five teams were also on hand to help start the race.

The Great Race began in 1977, and took several years off before being revived in 2001.

In recent years the Enchies and Anders Spinalators have dominated the race and over the past three years those two teams have finished first and second. The Spinalators won year before last and the Dore Enchies won the previous three. The Dore Enchies, formerly the Commodore Enchies, have won the event eight times since 2001 and in the top three three times. The Anders Spinalators have been in the top three each of the last five years.

The Security State Bank Big Bucks have also been in the hunt recently, finishing in the top three two of the last four years.

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