When the course gets tough the toughest kids go faster

The Year 3-4 boys competitors enter the mud pool section of their run. Photo/Stuart Munro

Organisers meant to make it harder, but the "Tough Kids" of the Wanganui district just did it that much easier at the Gilbertson Mitre 10 Mega Tough Kid challenge at Cooks Gardens yesterday.

About 1300 children from 29 schools took part in the Sport Wanganui-designed obstacle course as they ran the track, clambered over pads, went down slides, sidestepped through flags, sprinted up steps and hills, before powering for home through mud pools and under flax tunnels.

Just after 10am, a group of senior men had shown the gathered throng how to assail the course, which had more obstacles than the year before.

Among them was Max Brown, Wanganui's national kayaking champion, and even he admitted to finding it hard going.

However, as they dashed across the finish line in just over 8min, Year 3-4 Girl winner and runner-up Maggie Jones, from St John's, and Waverley's Ella Thompson said it was no problem.

"It was easier because we knew how to do it, you know what's coming," said Jones, comparing the course to the 2012 version. "I love running and getting messy."

"It was good, it was a bit different to last year," Thompson added.

Coming in a little behind them in third, Jemma Tan, representing St John's Hill School like Jones, said it was all "easy".

Both the St John's girls were able to fall back on their fitness from netball and touch rugby, while Thompson said while she doesn't do much sport, her Waverley principal Carwyn Caffell takes them out to run four laps of the school field regularly.

After the individual age group races, the team events were held in the afternoon.

The Wanganui Chronicle will have the results next week.