The Athletics Cook Islands Village Mile encourages community participation in a fun and accessible event, promoting health and fitness through a series of four one-mile laps around Rarotonga.

Athletics Cook Islands is holding its second annual Village Mile event around Rarotonga this Thursday.

The novelty event aims to reach all villages around the island and encourage those who have set New Year’s resolutions for increased activity and better health to begin immediately.

According to Athletics Cook Islands: “The event starts at a CICC church then heads out 800 metres then turns around and comes back again to the start.”

“This gives approximately a one-mile lap that can be taken as a walk with the pram, family group walk run or faster interval training racing.”

There are four laps making it a four - square - mile event, she said.

“Participants are encouraged to do as many as they feel they can achieve. After the first lap, times are recorded then everyone heads around clockwise to the next start,” Mave added.

“There is approximately 20 minutes rest in between as people bicycle, or drive to the next start.”

The 2024 Village Mile marked the inaugural run of the event, attracting participants of various ages and tourists alike who came to enjoy the festivities.

Spot prizes were awarded and at the final prizegiving, overall age group winners were rewarded.

The event starts at 8am at the Matavera CICC then proceeds to Avana CICC, Titikaveka CICC and finally Arorangi CICC.

The prize giving will be held at the Social Centre at Blackrock so everyone can have a swim to cool off afterwards. There is plenty of time to head into town for shopping afterwards if anyone is keen.

Athletics Cook Islands encourages all to come along and give it a go.

“You can walk or run, push a pram, help toddlers on a bike.

“The aim is to get the community involved in their local area that afterwards and during the year they can use the landmarks to do their own mile training towards better health and fitness and maybe even the Round Raro Race in September.”

Gabriella Tolosa and Cole Tavioni Bamber won the youth award at the inaugural Walk a Mile Race earlier this year.

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.

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.