Community spirit not dampened by showers in the successful return of the Raetihi Gutbuster

Around 90 people took part in the new 5km run/walk at the 2023 Raetihi Gutbuster. Photo / Glyn Hubbard

A day of showery weather couldn’t put a dampener on community spirit in Raetihi as the town played host to the return of the Raetihi Gutbuster.

The event had been running for the last 12 years, but went on a year’s hiatus due to Covid-19, with new events added this year alongside the traditional 50km and 25km bike race along Raetihi-Pipiriki Rd.

It was put on by the Raetihi Promotions Charitable Trust and event organiser Cathy Rogers said its return was a huge success.

Around 150 people entered the event, but with a few cancellations and no-shows, around 140 ended up making it to the start line, more than the 120 at the 2021 event.

In particular, she said one of the new events, a 5km run through Raetihi township had a huge turnout, with around 90 entrants, many of them children.

“It just turned out to be such a fun time,” Rogers said.

The kids were rewarded with marshals handing out lollies around the course and many people coming out of their homes to cheer the participants on.

“So that was a great success.”

She said while there were some showers on the day, they weren’t as severe as some were fearing, with the sun even coming out at times.

“For the cycling... and the half marathon, it was perfect weather because they certainly weren’t going to get overheated,” she said.

Overall the feelings of people who finished each event were positive, and people came from around the region to take part, with even a few from Whangnanui.

Every entrant to the event received a bag of local vegetables donated by five local growers, and each finisher of the events received a medal, with the first male and female finishers of each event winning a prize and spot prizes being given out.

Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton handed out the prizes at the event.

He said it was a privilege to be at the event and see it resurrected after its previous cancellation.

“Certainly it was a well-run, well-organised event and the community got behind it in every shape and form,

“I think they’re confident that people will come back next year and I think it was well received, we’ve got a good network of people helping out to get it up and running,” Kirton said.

He commended the work of the charitable trust and the other community members who made sure the event ran smoothly.

“For something of this nature in a small community to take place, it was really a credit to the organisers,” he said.

Rogers thanked the Raetihi community for making the event happen, both the people who came out to enter or volunteer at the event and the local businesses and organisations who sponsored and donated to the event.

“It’s not just me, it’s a huge team of people and I can’t do it without all these people in the community that have helped out.

“We can’t do it without them, so it really was a community event.”