Ironmaori Napier ready to roll, swim, bike, run this weekend

Fontayne Davidson, of Feilding, gets into her new fitness programme ahead of Saturday's Ironmaori Quarter in Napier. Photo/Supplied

A Ngati Kahungunu and Hawke's Bay success story is about to go another round with hundreds of visitors arriving in Napier this week for the first of the two big Ironmaori events.

More than 1000 people will take part in the Ironmaori Quarter, first held in 2012 to meet the demand after the success of Ironmaori following its inception in 2009.

Ironmaori Quarter comprises a 1km swim around Pandora Pond, a 45km cycle ride heading north on Meeanee Quay to the Expressway and south through Prebensen Dr and Church Rd to Fernhill and back through the Pandora Industrial area, and a 10.5km run/walk on a course around the Ahuriri Estuary.

Those in the individual event, completing all three stages, start at 7am and have six hours to complete the course before it closes at 1pm. The teams event, with one member for each section, also starts at 7am, on the cycle course.

For many it's a warm-up for the eighth Ironmaori Half Ironman on December 2, the latest celebration of a health and fitness phenomenon started by Hastings woman Heather Skipworth and which spawned a range of other events, such as Ironmaori Quarter, Ironmaori Kaumatua for the Over 55s, which will be held on Friday, the December 1 Ironmaori Tamariki-Rangatahi for those aged 5 to 17, and Ironmaori events in Taupo, Wairarapa and Taranaki, and on Australia's Gold Coast.

Among those who have caught the Ironmaori bug is Feilding mother of six Fontayne Davidson, who will tackle the run/walk, having "pounced on the opportunity" when her partner's sister suggested it in July.

"I never thought I would do anything like this while I was unhealthy for years after having all the kids my energy was low and I lacked motivation," she said.

"I often had thoughts of how fit and sporty I was when I was a young woman and that made me build the confidence to find that fire again and to be a example for my children."

She's only recently started training, walking 7km a day and deciding to step it up with box-fit training.

"I could only run for one minute before my knees would feel the impact of my weight and my breath would run out," she said. "Since then I can now jog 1km without stopping so my plan is to run and walk.

"I was quite a lot heavier than I am now although I would love to just wake up and I'm in my youth body again," she said. "But hard work is the only way to lose the kilos."

In recognition of the success of Ironmaori and its health-driven ideals, founder Ms Skipworth received a Blake Leader Award from the Sir Peter Blake Trust in 2011, Triathlon New Zealand's Outstanding Contribution to Triathlon in Schools award in 2013, and a Queen's Service Medal (QSM) in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours.