Enduro event 'one of a kind'

WHITE WATER: Rotorua's Ben Robson (pictured) founded the six-hour Okere Enduro three years ago. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Paddle, hold on, run, repeat.

That's roughly the formula teams will use during the annual Okere Enduro today.

The six-hour endurance race sees teams of three complete as many laps of the Kaituna River as possible.

"As far as I'm aware it is the only event of its kind in the world," event founder and organiser Ben Robson said. "Here in Rotorua we are blessed that we have the Kaituna River, it's ideal because it's safe and logistically it is easy to organise."

The event was first staged in 2012 and has attracted a full field again this year with 75 paddlers (25 teams) taking part.

"It works out to be roughly six to seven minutes on the river," he said. "In terms of distance, it is only about 1500m and about the same distance getting back up to the top."

He said at the end of your paddle, participants put their kayak in a trailer then run back to the top to tag their next team mate.

Robson said he came up with the idea to hold the Okere Enduro after taking part in similar events on his mountain bike.

"I'm a mountain biker and I had done events like the Moonride andday and night rides, and always wanted to apply it to kayaking because of the good atmosphere."

The Western Heights High School teacher explained each team would feature at least one guy and one girl.

"You have to have a mixed team of three. The whole point is to encourage everyone to get involved."

The record amount of laps completed in six hours is 26, set last year by Olympian Mike Dawson, Martina Wegman and Zack Mutton. Dawson is not available this year but Wegman and Mutton will be joined by Oscar McBurney to try and defend the title.

Robson said there was a great community of paddlers based out of Okere Falls, many of who would be taking part.

He said a good group of rafters, who returned home from Indonesia this week after medalling at the World Rafting Championships, would also be racing.