The other guys can have the course record. Karel Tresnak Jr. and Alfred Van Gieson will take the victory.

Tresnak and Van Gieson came up one second short of the course record, but were still fast enough to win the Rhino Kaiwi Channel Relay World Championship yesterday.

They completed the 40.2-mile course from Kaluako'i Beach, Moloka'i, to Magic Island, O'ahu, in 4 hours, 30 minutes, 27 seconds.

"It was a tough, hard race," Tresnak said. "There were some decent (wave) bumps in the channel, but the last hour was brutal. Really sluggish. Felt like we were paddling in hot fudge."

It was the fifth time that Tresnak had the sweet taste of victory, and Van Gieson was his fifth different winning partner. It was the first relay victory for Van Gieson.

"That's what makes this race special," Tresnak said. "It's always a roll of the dice. Every time you get a new partner, you don't know how you're going to do."

Van Gieson said: "I tried not to think about the pressure. I know (Tresnak) is a contender no matter who he's with, so I just wanted to do my part."

The race featured one-person canoes, but each "team" could use two paddlers. While one paddler is in the canoe, the other follows in an escort boat. They swap positions every 10 to 20 minutes.

Kai Bartlett and Aaron Napoleon — who set the course record in 2002 — placed second with a time of 4:30:59.

The top five teams finished within five minutes of each other. Danny Ching/Mael Carey placed third in 4:33:29, Mike Judd/Thibert Lussiaa fourth in 4:33:44, and Manny Kulukulualani/Kea Pa'iaina fifth in 4:35:35.

More than 120 teams participated in the race.

Tresnak and Van Gieson won it by taking a north course across the Kaiwi Channel.

"We were kind of on our own out there," Tresnak said. "It was a little scary because it looked like we were behind the whole time."

But once they reached East O'ahu, Tresnak and Van Gieson had a slim lead on the other contenders. From Maunalua Bay to Magic Island, they maintained a 100-yard lead on Bartlett and Napoleon.

"Too close for comfort," Van Gieson said. "They pushed us the whole way."

Bartlett said the north course of Tresnak and Van Gieson may have been the key.

"When they were coming in from the north, I noticed (Tresnak) was in for a long stint," Bartlett said. "I think that gave them the gap they needed."

Last week, Tresnak won the solo world championship race.

"He's in such good shape right now," Bartlett said. "He could probably win this race on his own if he wanted to."

Tresnak won last year's relay race with Andrew Penny, but Penny could not participate this year due to work commitments.

NEW WOMEN'S RECORD

Cherisse Agorastos and Lauren Bartlett won the women's division in a record time of 5:15:21.

It was the fifth relay championship for Bartlett — with a fifth different partner. It was the second relay win for Agorastos.

Andrea Moller and Dane Ward placed second in 5:21:49, but the race was apparently closer than the final margin indicated.

"We were actually trading off the lead with them for the first three-quarters of the race," Bartlett said. "It feels a lot more rewarding to win a race after you duke it out like that."

Agorastos and Bartlett said they pulled away when the ocean got "sloppy" off East O'ahu.

"There was some bad current, and you just had to muscle through it," Agorastos said. "That's when we opened the gap."

Bartlett also set a record last week when she won the women's division of the solo world championship race.

"Ever seen the movie Seabiscuit?" Agorastos said. "That's Lauren. She can just throw herself into a different gear."

Agorastos and Bartlett are teammates for Team Bradley, but yesterday was the first time they paddled together for a relay race.

"We never did it together, so we wanted to try it," Bartlett said. "It was super fun."

Moller and Ward are also members of Team Bradley. Bartlett and Moller won the relay race last year in a then-record time of 5:20:33.

"We're all teammates, so we like to switch things up every year," said Ward, who won the relay race with Bartlett in 2006. "I'm very happy with our race today. Getting second after going back and forth with Lauren and Cherisse is a great race for us."

NOTES

Brothers John Foti and Jim Foti placed 12th overall and won the masters 40-older division with a time of 4:48:55.

Walter Guild and Chris Kincaid placed 15th overall and won the masters 50-older division in 4:54:03.

Ryan Dolan and Jack Roney placed ninth overall with a time of 4:44:19. Both are 18 and seniors in high school. Dolan attends Maryknoll; Roney attends Punahou.

Puni Freitas and Simeon Ke-Paloma placed 18th overall at 5:00:12. Freitas is 16 and Ke-Paloma is 19.

Jessie Eames and Jaimie Kinard placed seventh in the women's division in 5:48:50. They paddled a pink canoe in an effort to raise awareness for cancer prevention. They represented 'Imi Hale, which is a program aimed at reducing the incidence of cancer among Native Hawaiians.

There was also a division for two-person canoes (OC2s). First to finish in a OC2 was the mixed team of Felipe Gomes, Barbara Querry, Bruce Ayau and Emili Jancheris. In the OC2 division, two paddlers are in the canoe at a time.

The OC2 mixed team of James Whaley, Taylor Hopkins, Derek Ruebenstahl and Giulia Anderson finished sixth in their division with a time of 5:55:19. They range in age from 14 to 16, and are members of the Lanikai Canoe Club's youth program.

TOP FINISHERS

OC1 MALE

Overall: 1, Karel Tresnak Jr./Alfred Van Gieson, 4:30:27. 2, Kai Bartlett/Aaron Napoleon, 4:30:59. 3, Danny Ching/Mael Carey, 4:33:29. 4, Mike Judd/Thibert Lussiaa, 4:33:44. 5, Manny Kulukulualani/Kea Pa'iaina, 4:35:35. 6, Tyson Kubo/Peter Konohia, 4:43:17. 7, Bill Pratt/Raven Aipa, 4:44:05. 8, Jimmy Austin/Mike Kane, 4:44:18. 9, Jack Roney/Ryan Dolan, 4:44:19. 10, Carlton Helm/Kekoa Cramer, 4:45:36. 11, Luke Evslin/Mark Frazier, 4:46:02. 12, Jim Foti/John Foti, 4:48:55. 13, J.B. Guard/George Dagan, 4:49:27. 14, Dave Schloss/Lucas Gamble, 4:53:48. 15, Chris Kincaid/Walter Guild, 4:54:03. 16, Peter Olson/Robert Olson, 4:54:53. 17, Ikaika Hauanio/Cameron Leao, 4:59:14. 18, Puni Freitas/Simeon Ke-Paloma, 5:00:12. 19, Ka'ai Bruhn/Kekoa Bruhn, 5:00:13. 20, Pat Von/Ian Forrester, 5:01:15. 21, Evan Rhodes/Byron Ho, 5:01:35. 22, Peter Dorries/Steve Caitell, 5:01:39. 23, Conan Herbert/Bernd Sommer, 5:01:44. 24, Keola Wright/Glenn Williams, 5:03:02. 25, Makena Fernandez/Maika Scott, 5:03:40. 26, Marc Haine/Danny Sheard, 5:06:21. 27, Sean Kaawa/Adam Aea, 5:06:34. 28, Kelly Foster/Kalei Kaho'okele, 5:06:41. 29, Afa Tuaolo/Beanie Heen, 5:07:33. 30, Rob Dorrough/Darren Humberstone, 5:08:05.

Masters 40-older: 1, Jim Foti/John Foti, 4:48:55. 2, Evan Rhodes/Byron Ho, 5:01:35. 3, Peter Dorries/Steve Caitell, 5:01:39.

Senior Masters 50-older: 1, Chris Kincaid/Walter Guild, 4:54:03. 2, Afa Tuaolo/Beanie Heen, 5:07:33. 3, Jerome Kalama/Adolf Helm, 5:16:18.

OC1 FEMALE

Overall: 1, Cherisse Agorastos/Lauren Bartlett, 5:15:21. 2, Andrea Moller/Dane Ward, 5:21:49. 3, Alana Goo-Frazier/Noelani Auger, 5:30:01. 4, Arlene Holzman/Margie Kawaiaea, 5:36:07. 5, Amanda Ozolins/Linda Dow, 5:39:30. 6, Andrea Messer/Kelsa Teeters, 5:43:23. 7, Jaimie Kinard/Jessie Eames, 5:48:50. 8, Talia Gangini/Trez Harrison, 5:54:00. 9, Bernie Murch/Dallas Ashmore, 5:58:06. 10, Sarah Van De Vanter/Shien Lu Stokesbary, 5:59:23. 11, Camie Kimball/Torrey Goodman, 6:02:47. 12, Paula Crabb/Jane McKee, 6:04:37. 13, Karrina Sullivan/Michelle Jackson, 6:15:03. 14, Tayte Brock/Sarah Gilman, 6:16:09. 15, Elise Kerr/Sheila Cadaoas, 6:34:26.

Masters 40-older: 1, Camie Kimball/Torrey Goodman, 6:02:47. 2, Paula Crabb/Jane McKee, 6:04:37. 3, Elise Kerr/Sheila Cadaoas, 6:34:26.

OC1 MIXED

Overall: 1, Mike Mills-Thom/Gail Mills-Thom, 5:22:44. 2, Mike Pedersen/Nicole Pedersen, 5:23:52. 3, Michael O'Shaughnessy/Pulama O'Shaughnessy, 5:51:33. 4, Gordon Polkinghorne/Andrea Polkinghorne, 5:53:54. 5, Natalie Sokol/Gary Johnson, 6:24:09.

OC2

Men: 1, Nate Hendricks/Mike Field/Seth Koppes/Nue Youderian, 4:48:13. 2, Lex Raas/Jean Raas/Cortland Reilly/Harry Mountain, 5:04:42. 3, Joshua Ekau/Timothy Ekau/Ryan Van Gieson/Travis Kamakele, 5:06:54. 4, Jonathan Grayson/Duane Webster/Leleo Kinimaka/Greg Wright, 5:13:48. 5, Mike Pemberton/Jon Kegle/Marshal MacCready/Tyler Hale, 5:20:22.

Women: 1, Kelly Cua/Jenn Konohia/Linda Jolie Goelz/Mary Kielty, 5:47:04.

Mixed: 1, Felipe Gomes/Barbara Querry/Bruce Ayau/Emili Jancheris, 4:46:27. 2, Chris Smith/Sara Smith/Pete Binney/Jennifer Binney, 5:09:19. 3, Ricky Balidoy/Sharon Balidoy/Michael DeLima/Sanoe Hookano, 5:10:42. 4, Junya McGurn/Jennifer McGurn/Dave Kalama/Tiare Lawrence, 5:17:47. 5, Nicki Lacey-Enos/Dane Enos/Freddie Berengue/Ronona Della Cioppa, 5:26:24.