For Wanganui's rookies in the Speight's Coast to Coast, today and tomorrow are shaping up as an adventure across landscape they have only seen on their computer screens.
Around a dozen Wanganui residents and ex-pats will tackle the 32nd edition of the 243km run, cycle and kayak from Kumara Beachon the South Island's West Coast, through to Sumner Beach in Christchurch.
Ten of them will be in the two-day event, starting today, as either individuals or teams, including the recent concept of three-person team racing, which was introduced in 2013.
Among those are first-timers Matt Foster, 44, Antony Rountree, 40, and Craig Wills, 39, the three mates taking part as "Jandels Extreme Team".
"Matt talked us into it. We've been training since July," said Rountree from Greymouth yesterday.
"That's basically our triathlon team I used to do the swim, Matt used to do the bike and Craig the run."
Rountree has the most straight-forward start today as Foster will run from the beach to his bike for a 55km ride to the foot of the Southern Alps, where Wills will take over for a 34km mountain climb over Goat Pass.
Team hopes will be on Rountree tomorrow for the 67km kayak down the grade two Waimakariri River, before Foster will complete the final 70km cycle into Christchurch.
"Hopefully I should be able to get the kayak up on the roof and jump in the van and get going before he's finished," said Rountree, who wants to watch their team cross the tape.
While he was been training on the Rangitaiki River in Bay of Plenty, his only knowledge of the "Waimak" - which can run high and fast or shallow and slow depending on the weather - is what he has watched on Youtube.
The team have three family members acting as crew, although Rountree said with three alternating competitors you can usually take care of each other without too much extra help.
Their goal at this stage is just to finish, as well as enjoy the experience.
To do that will require a near faultless 36 hours where the bodies hold up, the bike wheel spokes stay strong and the kayak doesn't spring a leak.
"All those lucky things, you need those on your side, but hopefully it should be good," Rountree said.
As well as the two-day event, the one-day individual World Championship race begins tomorrow morning.
