5 April, 2024

Starkers raving mad? Nude entrants and others brave jellyfish threat in round-the-maunga swim

Mission accomplished… Men’s and women’s Round North Head winners Matt Standford (left) and Julia Borlase

Happy finishers… (from left) Jim West, Helen Adams and Cynthia Borne hit the beach at Cheltenham

Mark Harvey celebrates finishing.

Laetitia Berten and Simon Millar

First nude swimmer Nick Edwards in the robe he received as a prize.

A record 29 nude swimmers took part in a field of 167 contesting this year’s 2.5km Round North Head swim from Windsor Reserve to Cheltenham Beach last month.
Matt Standford was first overall in a time of 30.58 minutes with Nick Carter (34.02) second man home and John Hall third (34.05). First woman was Julia Borlase in a time of 35.30, with Meagan Barfoot second (35.54) and Charlotte Carter third (35.56). The top male junior was Michael Brady and first female junior Sabine Harris.
The first nude male swimmer home was Nick Edwards, in 37.21, with Simon Millar second. Natasha Bowyer was first female naked swimmer in a time of 36.05, with Bethany Broomfield second. The winning nude swimmers were presented with towelling robes.
The race is one of the oldest community-
run events on the Auckland swim calendar.
Lion’s-mane jellyfish had been prevalent off the North Shore coastline prior to the race but only a few minor stings were reported to organisers.
The finish line was moved from Balmain Reserve to the northern end of Cheltenham Beach the night before the event, as organisers were unable to access a key to the reserve gate to let in vehicles, emergency responders and a car with the swimmers’ gear trailer.