Whānau Run marks launch of new Taranaki charity Run For Your Life NZ

Hayden Shearmen (left) says the event marks the launch of the Run For Your Life NZ charity.

A Whānau Run in Pukekura Park will mark the launch of a new Taranaki charity.

Run For Your Life NZ is delivering the event to New Plymouth. Hayden Shearman of Run For Your Life NZ says the event gives families a chance to run together over a short 1.2km but scenic traffic-free course.

“Children can choose how many laps they would like to complete, collecting a stamp for each lap and a completion certificate at the end. The goal is smiles on faces, not paces or places. We did our first Whānau Run in Ōākura in February and it was a huge hit with about 200 attendees, so we’re excited to see it come to New Plymouth.”

Beginning operation this month, the Whānau Run marks the launch of Run For Your Life NZ.

“It’s a big milestone for myself, having coached running for more than a decade through my company TempoFit to now deliver running programmes through a not-for-profit model that we hope can reach tens of thousands and help reverse our region’s trend toward sedentary lifestyles.”

Run For Your Life NZ has secured funding from Toi Foundation to help bring to the region more Whānau Runs, Learn-to-Run Clinics (for all ages and abilities) and a new in-school running programme called Run Revolution.

He says the pilot for Run Revolution (held at Ōmatā, Highlands, Ōākura and Inglewood during 2021 and 2022) was supported by Venture Taranaki’s Curious Minds scheme.

“We combined sports science with a five-week learn-to-run programme that provides a fun, engaging and education-filled alternative to the traditional school cross-country model. The pilot was a massive success, we learnt heaps about the kids we’re working with (with a mixture of both encouraging and alarming stats coming out) and we’re excited to see this programme go out to tamariki all over Taranaki this year and next.”

TempoFit holds running coaching for kids at Pukekura Park (Wednesday afternoons) and Ōākura (Friday mornings) as well as coaching and running resources for adults.

The Details:

What: Whānau Run

When: Tuesday, April 25 9am

Where: Pukekura Park

Other: free event. Parents encouraged to register on https://fb.me/e/4gPeET1Mt.