Over 270 runners and walkers across the 10 kilometre and 31km courses are set to hit the roads early tomorrow for the 2024 BSP Round Rarotonga Road Race.

The 47^th annual event features the largest turnout post Covid-19 pandemic with approximately 170 international competitors.

The Round Rarotonga Road Race is the major annual fundraiser for Athletics Cook Islands. Athletics Cook Islands is holding the event in partnership with event naming sponsor Bank South Pacific (BSP) and event management and logistics planning partners Turama Pacific Travel Group through its Destination Management Cook Islands (DMCK) department.

Event coordinator Matariki Wilson of DMCK has confirmed that reigning champion Kit Edwards has returned to defend his title.

Edwards from Darwin, Australia, won the 31km race last year in a time of 1 hour and 51 minutes. While this was not a record (which still stands at 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 14 seconds, set in 1979 by Kiwi runner Kevin Ryan), Edwards’ sub-two-hour finish was the fastest in the last 27 years.

“Round Rarotonga Race is not about setting the fastest time, it’s about making meaningful connections, meeting likeminded people and doing all of that in a little slice of paradise,” Wilson said.

“We have a lot mature athletes and runners in the 65 plus categories and we have runners who have been coming back for 25 years. We have paradise struck beginners who are awe of our island and can’t believe that they haven’t done this before.”

Apart from serving as the major fundraiser for Athletic Cook Islands’ development squad, raising about $12,000 to $15,000 annually, the Round Rarotonga Road Race also serves as a marketing event for the country and promotes healthy living.

“One of the purposes of the event is to attract tourists to out island in our shoulder or lower season,” Wilson said.

“It’s also an opportunity for us to promote healthy living in the Cook Islands. We do this by extending the registration to our local community to come and walk and shake away the fat.”

Wilson said a majority of the local participants were taking on the shorter 10km course while about six Rarotonga-based runners would challenge for the major 31km title.

“These are the dedicated athletes, the regulars who train for this event,” she said.

“Our naming sponsor Bank South Pacific who were there when we were left without sponsor during the pandemic has also registered the largest group of local participants with 34 staff taking part.”

The 31km race will start at 5.30am from the National Auditorium Dome, which is also the finish line. The 10km race will start at 7.30am from the Moana Sands Lagoon Restaurant in Muri.

“We will have police escort for the early morning race and we ask road users to pay consideration to the athletes on the road.”

Wilson thanked their major sponsors, BSP and others, for their support. She also expressed gratitude for the care and compassion shown by the Cook Islands Girls Guide members who will be tending to the 11 water stations around the island.