Maunga to Moana is being promoted as “an entry-level multisport race that is whanau-friendly, with a realistic challenge”.
“The way I’ve designed this, it’s achievable for first-timers,” organiser Keelan Poi said.
He is also catering for “hardcore Harrys” eager to test themselves as individuals on an alternative course.
For individuals, the hike leg is also a mountain run, the “steady bicycle will transform into a mixed-terrain mountain bike and road cycle”, and the run becomes a “gruelling race for supremacy over rivers and gradients, hills and sand and winding gravel roads”.
Poi said he developed the idea three years ago when he was in the army at Linton in Manawatu.
He ran it three times as a resilience, team-building and leadership exercise.
“It was too good to keep a secret,” said Poi, a former Ngati Porou East Coast rugby player.
He was keen to bring the event to East Coast people.
The inclusion of three mystery tasks — one during each leg — added elements of adventure. Poi said they were key for team-building and to test junior leaders in the army. Ahead of the first version of the race for the public, he decided to keep that component.
The military teams “pushed themselves quite hard” in the race, he said.
For the public, “it’s as hard as you want it to be”.
Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti events adviser Debbie Hutchings said Poi took an innovative approach to designing the programme.
“The planning is quite phenomenal,” she said.
“The team concept is supercool.
“For an event of this kind to be taking place on the East Coast is massive.
“We think it’s a real celebration of the East Coast.”
Poi, now a tutor in Gisborne working with youth, also founded Kaupoi Adventures, an outdoors-oriented business based near Ruatoria.
