42-hour runathon by sports academy

Cook Islands Sports Academy (CISA) students will trudge the roads of Rarotonga for the next two and half days to raise funds for their end of year cultural exchange trip to Australia.

The 15 CISA students will also attempt to break the current 40-hour run record they help set with the police Blue Light campaign in July 2010 by running 42 hours starting tomorrow from 4pm at the Punanga Nui market.

CISA tutor Kevin Iro says that the boys will be broken into three groups of five and run in shifts around the island – finishing at the market at 10am on Saturday.

The students have been out in the community seeking sponsorship from local businesses for a donation per lap of the island.

The community at large can pledge donations for each lap the students run or donations can be given to the boys as they run around the island for the next two and a half days.

Iro invites any member of the community to run alongside the boys to keep their spirits up.

Drums will accompany the boys during the day and at night it will be a silent run around the island.

Iro says that during daylight more than one of the boys will be running and at night those not running will be encouraged to sleep and rest – but at all times there will be a CISA student running.

Funds raised from the runathon will help the boys on their tour of New South Wales where Iro says they will have a cultural exchange with aboriginal tribes as well as play rugby matches.

Get behind the future sporting stars of our nation and make a donation as the boys beat their feet around the island for 42 hours.