FIRST AT LAST
FIRST AT LAST HATCH & BURNS BLAZES PATH TO GLORY IN IRON TEAM RELAY
Photos & Text by Peter A. Sutters Jr.
For team Hatch and Burn, the sweet taste of victory was a long time coming in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nantucket Iron Team Relay Race.

A swimmer leaves from Fourth Point on Coatue for a half-mile trek through Nantucket Harbor to Pocomo during Sunday's Boys and Girls Club Iron Team Relay Race. Below, paddlers struggle through 15 knot westerly winds and an outgoing tide to make the journey from Monomoy to First Point

For the last four years, they had finished second to the team A Taste of Nantucket.

This year would be different, Hatch and Burns jumped out to an early lead after the first running leg of the race from Jetties Beach to Monomoy and never looked back.

"It's a unique race this year," said Matt Erisman of Hatch and Burns after getting out of the water following a nearly one mile grueling paddle from Monomoy to First Point.

Paddlers had to not only battle an outgoing tide, but also a 10 to 15 knot westerly wind, which blew many off course.

"It was a challenge, which was great," said Erisman.

Many of the paddlers after coming out of the water collapsed on the sands of Coatue and between breaths commented it was the most difficult paddle they had competed in since first participating in the race.

The windy conditions had less effect on the three and a half mile beach run portion from First Point to Fourth Point, but the 20-pound bag of sand the runners had to carry on their backs made up for it.

Once that portion of the race was over, it was time for the swimmers to take over and make the half-mile journey from Fourth Point to Pocomo, which conditions were once again a factor, but not nearly as much as for the paddlers.

"The wind didn't have much effect on me because I was in the water," said Hatch and Burns first year member Beau Garufi. "The current was what gave me some trouble, but it wasn't that bad. You just have to swim for it."

Next up for the swimmers was a short three-quarter run down Pocomo Road to meet up with the bicyclists for their leg of the race- 19 miles from Pocomo to Sconset to Madaket, then on to the final road run leg of the race which is form Madaket back to the finish line at the Chicken Box.

PHOTOS BY PETER A. SUTTERS JR.Y/The Independent Team Hatch and Burns gathers at the finish line after winning Sunday's race. The team had finished second to team A Taste of Nantucket for the past four years, but this year, the results were flipped with A Taste of Nantucket finishing second. Below, a paddler hands off his ankle bracelet timer to the beach runner at First Point on Coatue.

Hatch and Burns was able to finish the race in just two hours, 24 minutes and 17 seconds, according to unofficial results. The team put such a distance between themselves and the second place finishers, they had time to pop open a few bottle of champagne and celebrate their victory and pose for pictures before the other racers were even in sight.

"It feels great," said Todd Burns, still clad in his bicycle helmet. "(A Taste of Nantucket) have been great competitors year after year and we always came up short. But this year we knew we had to step it up. It was a great day and a great race. You just can't ask for anything more."

While the focus of the day was on the racers, the real meaning of the event was to raise money for Nantucket Big Brothers Big Sisters, and with out a main sponsor, the funds raised were down considerably this year.

"We didn't have a presenting sponsor this year, so as far as fund raising, that has been a challenge," said Big Brothers Big Sisters director Kerry Carven. "The event itself went very well, each year it goes a bit smoother. The weather cooperated and there were no serious injuries, so overall it was a great day."

Carven estimated that in years past, the event brought in anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000, which is their main source of revenue. She said it is too early to tell how short they were of that figure this year, but said with out the presenting sponsor they would "be down a bit" this year.

"We're going to have to stop relying on people to bail us out with large donations," said Carven. "It will be a challenge, but we will be able to do it."