Old fellas accept challenge to be Toi boys

It will take the winner less than 90 minutes but it has taken the best part of the last year to organise the annual Toi's Challenge.

As the clock counts down to the start of the race at 9am tomorrow, the organising committee are checking off their to-do list after 11 months of hard slog making sure everything goes according to plan.

For the past 14 years Toi's has grown to become one of the most popular races on the Eastern Bay of Plenty athletic calendar but many competitors are unaware a handful of retirees, proudly calling themselves "the old fellas", work their butts off for 11 months of every year to ensure its success.

Murray McRae, Ron Price, Pete Cors, Tulip McRoy and Gavin Shadbolt pour hundreds of hours into the preparation of Toi's with McRae described as the backbone of the event.

"Yep, I guess we have been pretty busy," McRae told the Daily Post as he worked on last-minute matters at the Whakatane Athletic Club.

He has been behind the Toi's scene since it started and said he did it for the satisfaction of witnessing everything running smoothly.

More than 700 athletes are expected to tackle the 18.5km race this year, some running the Nga Tapuwae o Toi Track and others opting to walk.

Toi's Challenge has become famous for its course which traverses the heart of what was once the domain of the great chieftain Toi and includes an ancient pa site, spectacular seas views, Ohope Beach and stands of pohutukawa.

"We had an overseas competitor last year who told us she had to keep stopping during the race to take in the magnificent scenery," McRae said.

"As soon as the race has been run each November, we start planning the next year's event," McRae said.

Track maintenance begins in earnest about a month before Toi's, the "old fellas" taking to it with chainsaws, spades, loppers and weedeaters.

"There are quite often small trees across the track, there are always potholes that need filling and a few branches requiring a trim."

Tomorrow about 50 people will be on hand to act as marshalls and for the second time, the runners and walkers will head off together, at 9am.

The record time of 1 hour 16 minutes over the Toi's course was set in 1996 by Aaron Strong and race co-ordinator Gavin Shadbolt is not expecting it to be beaten this weekend.

However, local athlete Chris Morrissey was "running really well" and had just won his fifth King of the Mountain title so anything was possible, he conceded.

In the women's section Marina Fowell and Meagan Edhouse are in good form.

"And we never overlook the Murrihy family from Taumarunui who always come over and excel," Shadbolt said.