Fun run, walk and cycle marks Te Puke's Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway's completion

Te Puke's Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway will be officially opened on April 20, with a fun run/walk to take place the following day to mark the occasion.

When you have a new pathway, what better way to celebrate than to get feet on to it.

Te Puke's Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway will be officially opened tomorrow afternoon and on Saturday a fun run/walk/cycle will be held mark the occasion.

Ken Keyte, the man behind the annual Te Puke Fun Run and Walk held as part of Oktoberfest, has stepped up to organise Saturday's event.

"We thought it would be quite a good way of kicking off the opening to encourage people to come and do it and have a bit of fun in the process," he says.

He is expecting people with a wide range of abilities and fitness levels, from those wanting to get round the 4km course as quickly as they can, to those who just fancy a stroll or gentle bike ride.

''We are trying to encourage as many people as possible to do it,'' says Ken. ''If anyone wants to have a race around, that's fine, they will have the opportunity to do so. If they just want to go round and get some exercise then that's good too.''

For those who want to take even longer over the walk, there is a Trivial Pursuit option.

''We thought there might be some families or people who aren't so much into the exercise side of it, but who would like to go round it at a more leisurely pace and find out more about the pathway in the process.

''They'll be given a list of 10 questions that they'll be able to find the answers to as they walk around the course — they'll fill those out and hand them in at the end and we'll put them in the draw.''

People can also cycle round the course, with Ken stressing the need for care from those on two wheels.

Ken says while he hasn't thought much beyond Saturday's event, it would be ''a pretty cool thing to do'' annually if there was enough interest.

What you need to know:

8.30am:

Registration at the Hera Memorial, Commerce Lane.

9am:

Start.

10.30am:

Spot prizes and awards at the Jubilee Park stage.

Entry:

$5 adults, $2 children under 13 years, $20 family.