Coolangatta Gold history: Guy Leech’s incredible inside story of the first race 40 years ago

It’s the badly believable story of a teenager “with no clue” who was created sporting folklore 40 years ago. Inside the painful and crazy first Coolangatta Gold surf life saving race.

Guy Leech ahead of the 40th Anniversary Coolangatta Gold. Photo: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

It’s the barely believable story of an unknown teenage surf life saver “with no clue” who created sporting folklore with Guy Leech now giving an extraordinary insights into the painful and crazy first Coolangatta Gold 40 years on.

It was the backdrop for a movie but the extraordinary real-life tale of how a 40-1 skinny teen who didn’t want to embarrass himself made a split second decision that changed his life - and sport- is better than any script.

The Coolangatta Gold went on to become an iconic movie with the teenager who won the inaugural event created for it becoming a household name on a different stage altogether - with no warning.

Leech, on the approach to 60, has revealed he had no clue the impact the win in the now iconic surf life saving race would have on his life until he walked to breakfast the next day with mates and saw his face on the front page of “every newspaper of the day”.

It took his breath away - and his life for a while.

(L-R) Winner of the inaugural Coolangatta Gold Guy Leech with fellow Manly lifesaver Craig Riddington who came third. Supplied photo.

Leech said a split second decision to run with bare feet and not stop to pull on shoes helped set up his famous win in the race involving ski, board, swimming and multiple running legs.

But he also revealed no one rated him a contender in an era without mobile phones or good race day communication which almost cost him his famous triumph.

Leech’s handler on the day was the famous Manly Sea Eagles and Marlins footballer Dempsey Joy who, due to limits comms, has no idea the teenager was leading the race and didn’t have his ski on the waterline heading into transition.

Once he eyeballed Leech, Joy had to battle through massive crowds, later estimated to have been around 250,000 strong, to get the ski to the shoreline.

Gold Coast Bulletin’s story on Guy Leech winning the Coolangatta Gold race.

“I had a two minute lead and that went down to about a minute while he ran it through the huge crowd down to the beach,’’ Leech said.

Leech was a former swimmer who got into ironman after seeing Grant Kenny racing on the television and telling his mum that he wanted to go the same.

“There was his poster on the wall saying there was this race and there was $20,000 on first place and me and Craig Riddington thought ‘okay, let’s do it’,’’ Leech said.

“Our training was hit and miss. We just did what we thought was right.

“We had six months to train but we really didn’t know what to do because iron races back then we’re about 15 minutes and we figured it was going to be about four and a half hours and you were going to win it.

1984 Coolangatta Gold winner Guy Leech with his medal and trophy at Coolangatta beach.

“There was this bookie and he was doing odds. Riddo was 8-1, and Steven Wood was 8-1 because he was been to an Olympics (as a kayaker). I was 40-1.

“But we had done a run through a couple of weeks before and I beat them all in this made-up race.

“I was like, maybe I won’t embarrass myself, but we really had no idea”.

Leech said when he lined-up he was most worried about tripping on the start ramp. Little did he know much worse was ahead in race known for sending athletes to the hurt locker.

“We turned up and there was this massive grandstand and it was full of people and helicopters in the air and there was this ramp we had to run down,’’ he said.

“I just kept thinking, don’t embarrass yourself. Don’t make a mug of yourself. I just didn’t want to trip and fall and make a fool of myself.’’

Leech said his tactic after the first run leg was to stay close to good mate Riddington in the swim and it paid dividends.

“Riddo just went through the whole field. He got us into first place,’’ Leech said.

“We looked up and just thousands of people were watching us and I remember going, where is everyone else. Shit, we are at the front.’’

Coolangatta Gold movie poster. SUPPLIED PIC

Soon after Leech made a decision which set up his win.

“There were 100 chairs with run shoes on them and I made the decision to say no, I’m not going to stop. I’m going,’’ he said.

“The crowd was screaming. I thought I’ll go barefoot and then I raced for another three hours without seeing anyone.’’

That almost changed when he got into Coolangatta and could not see his pink ski on the start line.

Despite losing some time, Leech went on to win the 11km run, 5km swim, 4km run, 5km board and 23km ski race in a memorable and historic moment.

“It was the hardest race to win because you just had no idea how to train, how to race, there was no sports science around and it was also run at the hottest time of the year,” he said.

“It was 35 degrees and the water temperature was 25 and in 1984 there was no sports science. You just did your best.”

“There are only three types of races athletes who do this race. The first one is the one who’s trying to finish, the second one is chasing a time and then there’s the last athlete, the one who wants to win. I was all three in one race.’’

Guy Leech in the 2014 Coolangatta Gold.

With his $20,000 gold bar tucked away, Leech did not realise until the next morning the impact of a win which is now part of sporting folklore.

“I woke up hung over the next day looking for somewhere to have breakfast and walked past the newsagent and I was on front page of every newspaper in Australia and that was when my life changed,” he said.

“After that everyone knew me. I can’t think of any other athlete who didn’t have a build-up to fame and then their life just changed. The whole country knew about it.’’

It was a moment in time never to be repeated.

“It changed my life it gave me more than anyone else. I won the first. You remember who went to the moon first but maybe not someone who went five times.

“I won something that became a folklore.

“I had to make this massive adjustment in my life. I liked it at the start and I didn’t. And come up and talk. I had no warm-up for that sort of limelight.’’

Former winners Hayley Bateup and Guy Leech ahead of the 40th Anniversary Coolangatta Gold

With the target off his back and now a household name, Leech returned the next year to prove the first win was no one off.

”I turned up the next year because I didn’t want anyone to say it was a fluke and the second year was torture because of that,’’ he said.

“That was when reality really came in. I knew if I wanted to be taken seriously I needed to win again.

“I turned up in 1985 and the magic wasn’t there. It was all just about winning.

“The first year was exhilaration and the second just relief but without the joy.

“But once I did that and accepted the fact I wasn’t a one hit wonder it was good.’’

“I literally live through the first days of it becoming a sport,“ he said.

“Timing is an incredible thing, but you have to make the most of it.”

The 40th anniversary race is being held this weekend.