Tough primary kids coming to town

BALE OUT: The 1.5km obstacle course will be fiercely attacked by more than 1000 primary youngsters in the annual Downs Group Rangitikei Tough Kid in Ohingaiti on Friday.PHOTO/SUPPLIED 220915WCSUPTOUGHKIDS

The Downs Group Rangitikei Tough Kid is a real livewire event that has grown more than threefold in as many years.

Friday's third annual Sport Whanganui-organised event will again be hosted in partnership with Mangaweka School at the McIntyre Reserve in Ohingaiti between 10am and 1.30pm.

In its first year, the Downs Group-sponsored challenge for Year 3-8 Rangitikei primary schoolchildren attracted about 270 competitors.

This time, organisers are catering for more than 1000.

The aim of the Tough Kid concept is to give children the chance to get out, get active and have fun testing their skills over a 1.5km obstacle-course challenge.

Sport Whanganui marketing and communications officer Keeley Eastwood said 26 schools throughout the Rangitikei district would be involved.

"A professional timing team will be timing kids," Eastwood said. "The Downs Group Rangitikei Tough Kid began in 2012 and was born of the success of the Wanganui Tough Kid.

"It has grown year-on-year, initially attracting about 270 kids, and we are expecting more than 1000 on Friday," he said.

As well as the youngsters, there will also be a parents and teachers race. Across all the age groups, last year it was South Makirikiri School that proved the toughest, followed by Hunterville and St Joseph's Taihape.