100 visitors expected for week of running

The Round Rarotonga Road Race week of running series is expected to draw around 100 overseas competitors for the annual event.

Teams and individual runners from overseas are all expected to arrive on the island before the first event of the programme – the fun run scheduled for Thursday September 23.

This is a fun 5km run where everyone is encouraged to dress up and have a blast.

The fun run will be followed by a full race briefing for all competitors to be held at the Edgewater Resort and Spa in Arorangi – where the fun run will begin from.

Friday 24th is a rest day for all before the main race gets underway on Saturday 25th.

The 31km race around Rarotonga will start from the Punanga Nui Markets in Avatiu at 5.30am and the shorter 10km race starting from Muri will get underway at 7.30.

The prize giving for the main race will be held the following day before the Hash House Harriers birthday run on Monday 27th with the theme of ‘the louder the better’. This run departs at 5.30pm and culminates in a social barbeque.

Tuesday 28th will see the ‘Round the rock relay’ event for teams of up to 10 runners.

This event gets underway at 4pm and all Rarotonga primary schools are expected to field a team for this fun event sponsored by Cook Islands News.

The week of running wraps up with the ‘Nutters cross island run’ on Wednesday 29 which begins from the Wigmore waterfall in Takitumu and ends at the Avatiu coastline.

This run is not for the fainthearted and starts at 4.30pm with a shuttle to pick up athletes from the Punanga Nui markets at 4pm.