It is one of the longest-lasting races of its kind, conceived as the Eastland Biathlon by the triathlon club of the day, and at its high point serving as the national long-course duathlon championship.
In the race there will be faces from all of those years, with the exception of the late Charlie Savage, who completed 28 solo races on the trot.
Others who journeyed with him will think of him on the road to Te Puia.
Since 2001, this annual odyssey has been driven by race director Mark Sceats and a small team of transition marshals.
He will sound the starting horn for his 18th time at the Gladstone Road-Bright Street corner.
The field will run 14km to Tatapouri, where cycles take over for one leg to Tolaga Bay and another to Tokomaru Bay, a 75km ride. There it’s back into running shoes for a quarter-marathon to the pub at Te Puia.
Sceats is hoping the 29-year record of good weather will continue for this milestone event. Over the years there has been wind from all directions, occasional bleeding tar and the very occasional shower.
That’s racing, and multisport athletes take headwinds with tailwinds.
‘‘It would be great to see faces from the past turn out this year and team up with their old racing mates,” Sceats says.
“We like to think of it as a celebration of three decades-plus of multisport in this region — what better way to mark it than to come back to an event that helped start it all.
“It is all about the challenge these days.
“No one goes home from Te Puia wishing they had not done this event.”
Entry forms are available from bike shops and have been circulated online.The race starts at 7.30am on Saturday, November 3 . . . same day, same place, for the 30th time.
