Annual relay event en route to its first milestone

‘‘It’s all about people and having fun.’’

That’s been the view of Taranaki Steelformers Around the Mountain Relay organiser Selwyn Brown since he established the event. ‘‘This year is our tenth anniversary, so doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?’’ he says with a laugh.

‘‘But it’s fair to say that it’s become quite an iconic Taranaki event in that time,’’ he says.

And he’s right. This year, with more than a week to go until the November 1 deadline, more than 1850 competitors had already entered, which means it is already well ahead of the 1800 who had entered at the same time in 2015.

The 150-kilometre fun event around Mt Taranaki is open to runners and walkers who can make up teams with a minimum of 10, and a maximum of 18. Selwyn’s enthusiasm for the event is stronger than ever.

‘‘It’s been a fabulous journey of 10 years supervising people getting safely around the mountain.

‘‘Enormous heart-felt thanks to Darrel, Bev and Brendan Back from Taranaki Steelformers, who have been superb sponsors of the event right from day one. Their commitment has been incredible.’ The event has become an all-night event in its present form, says Selwyn, and as a result has become a bit special.

‘‘There’s so many people from around the country – and Taranaki in particular, who embrace it; it’s become the annual ‘must-do’ event for them.

‘‘We’ve also had a very challenging Steelformers 100-mile event in recent years for individuals. Last year, there were 12 entries, but this year we’ve already got 17 hardy souls entered, some from Hong Kong, Scotland and the Netherlands. They start running on Friday at five o’clock up Kent Rd, down to the main road and, travelling clockwise aroundthe mountain, finish 100 miles later at the TSB stadium after 9am on Saturday, through to 6.30pm or later.

Selwyn puts that in perspective. ‘‘It’s the same as running from New Plymouth to Wanganui or Te Kuiti non-stop. We should end up with 20 or 25 participants and the first woman and man home each receive $1000, which is pretty awesome.’’ In recent years, a number of events have sprung up around the North Island, all vying for the same market.

That’s something of which Selwyn is acutely aware. ‘‘There is a huge amount of competition out there from other events, but we try very hard to stage this event as one to make Taranaki proud.

‘‘The participants are not just a number. They are people, many of whom we’ve met and they become friends. We want to give them a fantastic event in which they have a lot of fun. It’s actually quite humbling.

‘‘It’s a great opportunity to get together with your workmates or colleagues and do something bold.’’ He says people do longdistance events for different reasons. ‘‘Many use them as a fundraiser for a special reason, but for most it’s about being active, getting off their butts and getting fit. ‘‘It’s also great to see the waistlines coming down with summer on the way.’’ Safety is a huge issue for Selwyn, and one he takes seriously, especially as the event takes place on public roads, much of it at night.

‘‘All competitors have to wear a highvisibility vest and will be issued with glow sticks – similar to batons – which will be illuminated during darkness.’’ We are also asking all supporters to wear high viz clothing if they are out on the road supporting team members.

Another initiative this year is the interactive ‘‘map view’’ app available on mobile phones.

‘‘They’re available to competitors, thanks to partner BTW, who came up with the idea and they will ensure everyone knows exactly where they are going. It’s the way of the future and I can eventually see all participants being able to be tracked as they do thier leg.’’ The Steelformers Around the Mountain Relay is very much the work of husband-and-wife team Selwyn and Gayle. ‘‘We work well together and have different areas of expertise, but there are far more people than just us. There are over 200 volunteers behind the scenes who all do their bit to enable us to deliver a fantastic event.

‘‘It couldn’t happen without them and we’re very grateful to them.’’ The event starts and finishes at the TSB Stadium grass area in Mason Drive. The solo runners start early, at 5.30pm on the Friday night, while walkers start the teams programme from 8pm. Composite teams of walkers and runners set off at 11pm, and the running teams leave at 2.30am on Saturday.

Most teams will cross the finish line before 4pm on Saturday. ‘‘We encourage teams to gather on the grass at the start of Mason Drive and run the last 100m to the finish line together for the customary team photo and judging.’’ Most take up that opportunity. ‘‘There’s a fantastic festival atmosphere, from the time they gather at the start of the relay through to the prize giving at 6.30pm.’’

By getting the whole team to sign on te board at The Frontrunner you will be in the draw for a team Banquet at India Today. Participants wanting to qualify for the main prize of a trip for 2 to Hawaii need to join Hawaiian Air miles for free www.hawaiianairlines.co.nz/my-account and email their Hawaiian miles number to nicolm@worldtravellers.co.nz.

Entries in the 2016 Steelformers Around the Mountain relay are: Plymouth; 3005 The Joint Operation, Hamilton; 3006 Auroa Udderly Awesome, Hawera; 3007 You wine some you booze some, New Plymouth; 3008 STOS V Powered, New Plymouth; 3009 Auroa Piri’s, Auroa; 3010 Wild Waikato Women, Hamilton; 3011 Keeping it in the Family, Inglewood; 3012 Scrambled Legs, Hawera; 3013 The Pace Offs, Hawera; 3014 Weight Watchers Taranaki, New Plymouth; 3016 The Winning Edge Taranaki, Urenui; 3017 Ballance Nitro, Kapuni; 3018 Medlab, New Plymouth; 3019 The Young and the Rest of Us, Eltham; 3020 PJs Crew, New Plymouth; 3021 Coulton Cuzzies, Wellington; 3022 Where’s Tookey? Wellington; 3023 The Inhalers, Hawera; 3024 Odd Sox, Opunake; 3025 We thought it was a pub crawl, New Plymouth; 3026 RMY Legal, New Plymouth; 3028 Seedlings Space Cadets, New Plymouth; 3031 St John Bosco School, New Plymouth; 3033 Get Fit 45, Opunake; 3034 Streamline academy, New Plymouth; 3036 Fairfax Media, New Plymouth; 3037 Catch me if you can, New Plymouth; 3038 Justice League, New Plymouth; 3039 It’s not a funeral, Palmerston North; 3040 The Rossies, New Plymouth; 3042 Stratford is the One, Stratford; 3043 YMCA Village People, New Plymouth; 3044 Masters 101, Oakura; 3048 100% Werder, Hawera; 3049 Countdown, New Plymouth; 3050 Taraki, Wellington; 3051 Colorsteelers, Auckland. Plymouth; 5011 Gut Busters, New Plymouth; 5012 Mountain Dash Troopers, New Plymouth; 5013 Silk Spa Superstars, New Plymouth; 5014 Hutt Crazy Eagles, Lower Hutt; 5015 Hutt Crazy Unicorns, Lower Hutt; 5016 Team PPTA, Wellington; 5017 Reservoir Dogs – Stos, New Plymouth; 5018 I thought they said Rum! New Plymouth; 5020 Team Bodylogic, New Plymouth; 5022 ‘‘WTF, where’s the finish line’’, Hawera; 5023 STOS Wells Running Tools, New Plymouth; 5024 Supermums, Palmerston North; 5025 Team toa, New Plymouth; 5028 World Team, New Plymouth; 5030 Sweaty Battlers, Opunake; 5031 Bruising Muscles, New Plymouth; 5033 Get Fit 45 Runners, Opunake; 5037 Wolf Pack, New Plymouth; 5038 Vigor Fitness Troopers, New Plymouth; 5040 Keeping up with the Kenyans, Hawera; 5041 Drinking Team with Running Problem, Hawera; 5042 Under trained & over confident, New Plymouth; 5043 Oakura Athletics Club, New Plymouth; 5044 We’ll be coming round the mountain, Inglewood; 5045 Well2Naki, Patea; 5048 Boot It Taranaki Runners, New Plymouth; 5049 Boot It Taranaki Social, New Plymouth; 5050 Tarata Turbo’s, Inglewood; 5051 Familia supra Omnia, Stratford; 5052 TDHB Minion Runners, New Plymouth; 5053 Running Round, Inglewood; 5054 Rimu LED the way, Wellington; 5055 Butterfly Babes, New Plymouth; 5056 Hannah’s trolls, New Plymouth; 5057 NPDC #1, New Plymouth; 5058 NPDC #2, New Plymouth; 5059 Highlands School, New Plymouth; 5060 Harrison Grierson, Auckland; 5061 Taranaki Toa, New Plymouth.