Locals from Raetihi and the district will be donning their cycling gear on Easter Sunday and heading for Pipiriki on an 18km, one-and-a-half-hour round ride.
Those hardy cyclists who are up for the inaugural Raetihi Gutbuster will head toward the Whanganui River township at midday, coasting between the uphill climb atboth ends where there will be a "bit of work to do".
However, stalls with tempting food baked by Jessie Seaman and Patrick Turner's "wickedly disgusting" barbecued pickled pork and crackling will greet them on their return.
Local man Ted Spiss has cycled the route and the 67-year-old had clocked on at 1 hour 20 minutes.
And Ruapehu District Council Deputy Mayor Don Cameron will probably try to better his time of 30 minutes.
Raetihi International Airport Backpackers co-owner and Gutbuster organiser Lucy Conway said this was a "fun ride", so there would be no major prizes but "heaps of good spot prizes", food stalls and music accompanying the prizegiving.
The funds raised would go toward the fit-out of the Waimarino Museum in Raetihi.
Eighteen entries had been received to date - a local family of six riders, a couple coming from Wellington, and a couple from the UK who are staying in the town to have a go.
Cyclists can enter as a single rider or in a relay team of two.
Entry is $10 per rider and, as Raetihi is a big provider of ski accommodation, a $30 one-night stay, race entry and a post-race snack is a special offered to those from out of town.
Entry forms are available on www.raetihi.com/news.or call Lucy: 06 385 3123 or check out www.facebook.com/raetihinz
