Saturday 16th October 2021

We were blessed with lovely weather and a field of 387 competitors, despite Covid restrictions and having to postpone due to lockdown.

A fantastic team of helpers from our school community organised the starts, finishing line, catering, on-course activities, medical team, marshals, photography, Kapahaka, transitions and prizes.

There were also lots of competitors from within our school community who took part in the 3, 6 and 9-hour competitions.

I’d like to especially mention the following teams, connected to MGS, who did very well:

Greg & Luke Jansen - First in the 3-hour event

Nick & Micah Pomare – Second in the 3-hour event

Louise France, Amelia Kench, Michelle Gibbs and Kate Vanderpyl – Second in the 3-hour Women’s event

Rebecca Thompson, Briar Thompson and Brooke Money – Third in the 3-hour Women’s event

Hannah Jansen and Fayas Wayman – First in the 3-hour Students’ event

……..Just to name a few

A highlight for me was having representatives from our school Kapahaka group start the 6-hour events with a mihi, karakia and waiata. It was a fantastic way to make a connection between our school and the race, and to honour God right from the start.

We raised $21,000 for the school, connected with our local community, had a lot of fun and enjoyed some of our great local tracks and trails at the same time.

Next year’s event is scheduled for Saturday 27th August, so mark your diaries and calendars, pick your team mates and start training!

Nāku noa, nā

Rod Thompson