Gabriella Tolosa and Cole Tavioni Bamber won the youth award at the inaugural Walk a Mile Race on Tuesday after only intending to complete the first lap.

Athletics Cook Islands event coordinator Ruta Mave said Tolosa had only intended to run the first lap but then thought she could do the second and might as well do the third.

“Well can’t stop now, so she completed all four to win the female youth award alongside Cole Tavioni Bamber for the male award.”

Mave said the impressive David Lobb in his 70s churned out all four races coming home in the top five every race to win the Masters male and Rose Akava-Moodley the Masters women titles.

She said the inaugural village mile race started on time at 8am in Matavera with a good selection of competitive runners and walkers taking to the 800 metre road to Takitumu School and returning to complete the one mile course.

Participants in Matavera. SUPPLIED / 23010305

Mave said the first race was won by a visitor from Sydney, Ben Streckeisen, with two Rarotonga runners Brooke Ross and Jacob Pynenburg who went on to take the first and second placings between them at the following three races of Ngatangiia, Titikaveka and Arorangi. They took out the overall winners for male and female runners.

Families, children on bikes, walkers with dogs, couples and first time walkers joined the group to start on the ring of the brass bell.

“The choice of using the CICC churches as a focal start and finish point was done intentionally to give locals within each village easy to remember landmarks that they can use for their own training for the rest of the year. By increasing the number or times they do the one mile lap.”

Mave said Heidi Seidler, mother of three who ran ahead of her, liked the distance as it sounded achievable to do 800m and then return home. 

Participants in Arorangi. SUPPLIED / 23010306

Some families joined in parts with mother Gina Tavioni Bamber and son Cole starting the first two races with father Shaun and sisters Eden and Tiana joining Cole at Titikaveka who then went on to complete all four. 

Tourists who had seen the posters joined in at different villages and some returning Cook Islanders asked if it could be held every year as they would be keen to do it again.

Mave said she was pleased with the numbers who turned up and the diversity of participants who gave it a go.  

Participants in Ngatangiia. SUPPLIED / 23010304

“It definitely has a good future to be a regular event and now we know the logistics are manageable we will be better able to grow the event to attract more people of all levels of fitness and abilities.”

Prize giving was held at the Nikao social centre which gave participants an end zone area to swim, relax and enjoy the variety of food stalls available.

Athletics Cook Islands acknowledges volunteers who helped with the time keeping and marshalling and for the spot prizes provided from sponsors from BSP, CIC Ocean Research, and Te Marae Ora - Live Smart, be active, eat wisely.