Athletics: Trail run promises to be fun for all the family

All ages are catered for at the annual Tauranga Trail Run, to be held next month.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The Smiths Sports Shoes Tauranga Trail Run will be held on Sunday, November 23, at the TECT All Terrain Park - voted New Zealand's Best Park in 2011.

The annual off-road festival is a fundraiser for the Tauranga Boys' College cross-country team and is in its fourth year, attracting upwards of 500 people to the great facilities established in 2004 by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the Tauranga City Council.

Distances range from 5km up to 30km and this year the focus is on getting more young runners tackling the scenic 5km course with their parents.

Although undulating, the Bay of Plenty Times-sponsored trail run is achievable as a walk or run for children as young as 5. Parents of children under 12 have free entry, to encourage more families to make a day of it.

In previous years, many parents have done the earlier 10km or 15km event before heading out with their children at 10.30am in the 5km loop.

There will be plenty at the All Terrain Park to keep people fed and entertained from the first start time of 7.30am (30km), with a coffee cart, food stalls and live music from the Edward Hare Project, featuring Fletcher Oxford.

All distances take in the historic Te Rerenga tunnel that was hand dug in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Both the 15km and 30km also feature three picturesque stream crossings up on the Buffalo Girl Trail, a mountain biking track used only for running during this event each year.

With a worldwide boom in off-road running, the Tauranga Trail Run provides a great taster for those with bigger and more ambitious goals such as the Tarawera Ultra, which attracts some of the greatest runners in the sport to New Zealand in February each year.

It is hoped that Sam Clark, defending champion in the 30km event, will be back this year. Recently, Clark won the Bay of Plenty's premier multi-sport race, the Motu Challenge, recording 7 hours 29 minutes for the 172km event. Combined with Te Puke triathlete Bobby Dean, who was second in 2013, and Tauranga's Dwarne Farley, who was third in the Motu and fourth in the 30km last year, the racing up front in the blue-riband distance should be intense.

Entry prices are the best around at $10 (10km), $20 (15km) or $30 (30km) for adults until November 21. Entry forms are available from Smiths Sports Shoes and Tauranga Boys' College.