The Muddy Good Run coming north
Popular adventure event the Muddy Good Run is moving north to Mandeville this year, but organisers CJM’s Events say it could return to its birthplace of Rakaia in the coming years.
CJM’s Events director John Moore said the move was a commercial decision, made after they were approached by Visit Waimakariri, part of Enterprise North Canterbury (ENC), after last year’s Bridge To Bridge. He said the encouragement and support offered north of the Waimakariri, along with a potential increase in entries, had made the move an attractive proposal.
ENC CEO Heather Warwick said the well-known event fit well within the local calendar and expected the area’s growing population would support it.
‘‘Being right on the doorstep of Christchurch we also expect a number of entries from outside of the district, which will contribute greatly to the local economy and showcase our beautiful region to event goers.’’
Of the recent events, Christchurch attracted more than 1800 in April while the 2017 Rakaia Domain event attracted around 700 participants.
‘‘Of those, 78 per cent were from outside of the Mid Canterbury area,’’ Moore said.
This year’s event would be held at the Mandeville Sports Centre, Sunday September 30.
Because people were already travelling, Moore said organisers felt it would not be a stretch for people to go to Mandeville. They already had 200 entries for this year’s event, five months out.
‘‘That’s adults as well, I’d say we’re well on the way to 2000 [entries].’’
The potential jump in entries would help CJM’s Events with their goal of spreading the Muddy Good Run across the whole South Island, Moore said.
‘‘It’s not saying that it’s not going to be in Rakaia again, it could be there next year, it could be biannual,’’ Moore said.
He said the support the event had received from the community and landowners in Rakaia had been great in the past and hoped it would be again if it returned.