Multisport: It's back and better than ever

Competitors in the kayak leg of the resurrected Mountains to Sea multisport event this weekend will have plenty of views of the Whanganui River.

After a hiatus of more than 20 years, the Mountains to Sea (M2C) multisport event returns to Ruapehu and Wanganui this weekend.

The event was hugely popular during the decade it ran between 1987 and 1997 and this year's entries, while slightly lower than traditional numbers, suggests its resurrection will ensure it again becomes an annual event on the New Zealand sporting calendar.

Whanganui Events Trust manager and event director Mike Cronin confirmed between 45 and 50 entries had been received as of yesterday equating to about 75 or 80 competitors.

"Entries are still trickling in, but there are more spaces left and we'd encourage more competitors to join in. We will continue to take entries until the close of business on Thursday," Cronin said yesterday.

The race starts at the Turoa Base Area at 8am on Friday with the Balance Chartered Accountants 18.5km Mountain Road run. Competitors then transition on Ohakune Junction's Village Green to the 84km Cheal Mountain Bike leg. This takes in the Ohakune Old Coach Road linking up to Middle Road in Horopito and into the Ruatiti Valley. There's a 12km uphill climb to the Mangapurua Trig followed by a descent down to the finish at Whakahoro.

Day two on Saturday is the 90km Journeys on the Whanganui paddle from Whakahoro to Pipiriki. Day three is the 70km road ride on the now fully sealed historic Whanganui River Road sponsored by The Dentists. Competitors then dismount and start the 8km Visit Ohakune run to the finish at Cooks Gardens, Whanganui.

"It's a huge undertaking for our two regions (Ruapehu and Wanganui) and we're thrilled with the response from our communities. Year one is always a huge learning curve and we're confident the building blocks are all in place for the future."

Competitors and supporters will be welcomed to Ohakune tomorrow evening following registrations on the Village Green at 5.30pm.

Visit Ruapehu general manager Mike Smith is also delighted to have the M2C back. "This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase to New Zealand and the world just how amazing the Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail really is. I'm particularly thrilled to have the now fully sealed Whanganui River Road being used as a stage. We see this road as having enormous visitor potential going forward and this is a brilliant way to showcase it," Smith said.

The organisers encourage everyone to come along and cheer and support the athletes on all of the stages.

"We hope to see all the schools, businesses and locals out come race time and Cooks Gardens in Wanganui is the place to be on Sunday as the competitors begin rolling to the finish," Cronin said.

"We anticipate the early finishers will begin trickling in from around 11am on Sunday with the rest of the field crossing the line throughout the day."