Ben Townley’s third consecutive win at the weekend’s Honda Tarawera 100 cross-country marathon puts him in elite company as one of only five riders who have won the Tarawera 100 three times or more since the event’s inception in 1978.

The other major winners have been Wayne Jennings (a record five-time outright Tarawera champion), Cody Cooper (a four-time winner) and three-time former winners Nick Reader and Damien King.

The various individual class winners this year were Townley (over-300cc four-stroke); Reporoa’s Hadleigh Knight (over-200cc two-stroke); Coatesville’s Sam Greenslade (under-300cc four-stroke); Gisborne’s Duncan Summerfield (under-200cc two-stroke); Stratford’s Josh Hunger (under-19 years class); Morrinsville brothers Hayden and Nathan Tesselaar (two-rider, two-bike team); Papamoa’s Michael Williamson and Brandon Given (two-rider, one-bike team); Tauranga’s Reece Burgess (veterans 35-39 years); New Plymouth’s Tony Parker (super vets, 40-49 years); Auckland’s Jeff van Hout (mega vets, over-50 years) and Thames rider Natasha Cairns (women’s grade).

© Photos by Bridget & Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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