Andy Rowan Takes On Another Challenge

[Boss Meri]

I received this email earlier this week and thought I would share it with you. Who is Andy Rowan you might well ask? Refer below for the 'Hall of Fame' Kokoda Trekking Records:

Kokoda Challenge Race Records:

• Fastest man on the Kokoda Track/Kokoda Trail: Kokoda Trekking (KTL) porter – Brendan Buka – in both directions set in August 2007 and August 2008. Owers' Cnr to Kokoda 16:34; Kokoda to Owers 17:20
• Fastest Female – Nesta Gipine – set 31st August 2008 – Time 22:08:38
• Fastest white man – International Competitor – Owers' Corner to Kokoda – Damon Goerke set in August 2006 in a time of 19:28
• Fastest white man – International Competitor – Kokoda to Owers' Corner – Andrew (Andy) Rowan set in August 2006 in a time of 24:15

I will copy paste the email I received from Andy who by the way is a doctor. When I first met him, he was a young intern, here in PNG to gain experience in delivering babies. He mentioned that back home in NZ he would not get such an opportunity for several years but being in Port Moresby he had already delivered more babies then he could count in a few short months.

Andy became valuable to me in so much that I did not have a clue how to run a race let alone such a gruelling 24 hour race with all the logistical problems the track can throw at you. Andy having been in adventure races before met up with me on a couple of occasions and gave advice and help for which I will be forever grateful as our race is now in the record books. Andy if you are ever reading this, thanks for never forgetting Kokoda and for emailing me about your latest adventure…GO ANDY, friend Gibbo and new wife Wei Ling !
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Hi everyone,

well what can i say after 7 years of planning ( in the loose sense of the word) am am starting my cycle trip from NYC to Rio de jenairo tomorrow.

You can follow my trip at my blog at

http://andysballbustingadventure.blogspot.com/

hopefully i will update it weekly and add picture etc. below I have copy and pasted the first post ( just to get you excited ?? )

Andy

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Bike of the conchords : New Zealands third favourite cycle touring Trio

Hi everyone ,

When i was about 20 years old my grandfather ( at the age of 92) imparted to me the only advice he ever gave me , he said

"Andy you can either work when you're young or when you are old , but at some time in your life you will have to work"

– i had alot of love and repsect for Jock ( my grandfather) and I have taken his advise to heart – therefore I've decided to work when i'm old !!!! and tomorrow i am starting my cycle tour From New York City to Rio de J aneiro.

Without labouring the details, about 7 years ago I came up with the idea and enlisted the support of one of my good school friend's, Gibbo . However it has taken the best part of the last 6 years for us to organise ourselves – and just when it seems we had it all sorted Gibbo had to go and jepordise the whole thing by meeting the love of his life and get married ( Wei Ling – did I mention she is a mail order chinese bride !!, ) . So NZ's third favourite cycle duo became a trio.

So anyway here we are in the big apple , we have our bikes and a few maps , and we are due to head off tomorrow morning – to face ( how the french would say) I don't know what. I will do my best to do at least one exciting thing per week to spice up my weekly blog – and as and when I get pictures I will post them.

Andy

p.s – Wei Ling has just been reading over my shoulder and corrected me, she is in fact Malaysian-Chinese

[Boss Meri]

Andy seen here arriving at Owers' Corner 24 hours after he commenced the race at Kokoda Hospital in August 2006. For anyone who has walked the track the last climb is tough but for Andy Rowan this last hill was the end of 24 hours of non stop competition which had seen him go without sleep just to beat the record set by Brian Freeman of 25 hours +.

When I interviewed him, I asked what drove him….he replied that he knew he could not win the race but he really wanted to break Brian's records and become the 'fastest international competitor'. Damon Goerke running in the opposite direction Owers' Cnr to Kokoda set a record of 19:28 but to this day Andy owns the record from Kokoda to Owers' Corner 24:15.

Results from the 2006 race were as follows:

26 Competitors left Kokoda destined for Ower's Corner and only 12 finished in the time set down of 36 hours duration before race closure. Times were as follows:

1st – John Hunt Hiviki – 22:01:14 – Eco
2nd – Osborne Bogajiwai – 22:45:34 – Kokoda Spirit
3rd – Tom Hango – 23:34:46 – KTL
4th – Bernard Aruo – 24:08:46 – KTL
5th – Andrew (Andy) Rowan – 24:15:21 – New Zealand
6th – Russell Gurisa – 28:32:21 – Independent
7th – Abel Arari – 29:05:22 – KTL
8th – Rod Ori – 29:36:52 – KTL
9th – Wayne Urina – 30:08:12 – KTL

equal 10th, 11th & 12th : Sean & Bryan O'Hara; Robert Drysdale

update Rod Ori and Wayne Urina were both injured in a fall and were both worthy of better times and both hobbled home to Owers' Cnr. In fact Wayne is the second fastest competitor to finish the race in August 2008 in a little over 18 hours. Tom Hango has since won a race from Owers' to Kokoda in 2007 in a time of 19 + hours so knocked quite a lot of his previous time of 23:34 mentioned above.
Andy_Rowan_fastest_expat_Kok_Ower__s.jpg
Andy_Rowan_last_hill_24_hours_later.jpg

[peterh13]

youve really got to respect these guys…

[50litres]

Hi,

I have not been able to find info about this years race. Did/will it happen?

Otherwise, is it back on the calendar next year?

Thanks

Editor's Note:

We are not holding the race this year but all going well it will go ahead according to plan in 2010.

[Boss Meri]

9th August:

Hi gail, it is really nice to hear from you , it has been a few years but I still see my time in PNG has one of the most exciting of my career but also the challenge of the track as one of the highlights of my running "career" .

I was in fact back in PNG at the start of last year working for 3 months in a small village in milne bay province- I was only breifly in PoM and apoligize that I didn't make more of an effort to contact you then.

No doubt I will be back again , I always love my time in PNG

Andy

[Boss Meri]

Update 25th August:

Hi there, I'm emailing my blog as well cause I know I have a friends in country's that don't value freedom of press and can't access my blog – sorry everyone else will have to press spam/delete

Crossed the ohio river from Ohio into Kentucky a few days ago , and basically haven't been able to stop biking due to the dogs, it seems the folk here love horses, tobacco and unleashed dogs. And what the dogs love more than anything esle is chasing cyclists. my faviourite chase so far was a small fat sausage like dog with legs so short it looked like a slug moving across the ground , I felt so sorry for it cause his barking was so sincere that I slowed down just so he could feel like he was doing a proper job of chasing.

We have been loosely following the old route that slaves used to escape to freedom from the South to the north ( prior to the civil war) , has been really interesting visiting the old museums and houses where poeple hid and were hidden – even more interesting is talking to the average american about their own history and so far their knowledge has been woefull ( although would the average NZer know the reason for the NZ land wars ??)

Anyway doing well, loving being on the road again. will keep you posted.

Andy

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