Peak Trail Blazer 2016

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Fundraising runs strong in “the little event with a big heart”

Once dubbed “the little event with a big heart” by online running magazine Running Plus, the Peak Trail Blazer will return for it’s 7th year to the trails of Te Mata Peak on Sunday 20 November, with the hotly contested $500 cash prize for both the King and Queen of the Peak.

The Peak Trail Blazer, with a 12.8km Te Mata Peak trail and 3.5km Tainui trail, was dreamt up as a school fundraiser by three parents from Havelock North Primary; Jo Throp, Susie Devonshire and Rachel Cornwall, who were soon joined by Jan Broadley as the event too shape.

Race Director Jo Throp says the event has not only seen well over 3400 people participate on the two trails over the years, but it has also managed to raised over $108,000, with around $80,000 going to Havelock North Primary for school hall improvements and a further $28,000 going back to the wider community.

“We said from the outset we wanted this to be a true community focused event, not only when attracting entrants from all over Hawke’s Bay, but also by giving something positive back to the community that supports it,” says Ms Throp. “This aspect of the event is really important to us.”

This year’s recipients will be Heart Kids Hawke’s Bay and the Hastings Giants Boxing Academy who will each receive 20% of the funds raise from the 2016 event.

Craig McDougall from Hastings Giants Boxing Academy says the money will be put towards their new mentoring program, noting that the support of the Peak Trail Blazer will also continue to lift their profile within the close knit Hawke’s Bay community.

Heart Kids Hawke’s Bay spokesperson Rachael Bartle says they loved the idea of the event from the get go. “Funnily enough when we were approached about it, and then after having met with the organisers, we all felt the event had real ‘heart’’. We’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

Past recipients have included Sumner School and Kaiapoi Borough School after the earthquakes in Christchurch, the Te Mata Park Trust and the Heretaunga Women’s Centre.

Ms Throp says it’s taken a lot of “hard graft and passion for the cause” by a core group of volunteer organisers, but the event is now firmly established on the local running calendar managing to attract top runners, such as reigning champions Ruby Muir and Eric Speakman, who are keen to have a shot at the titles of Rod McDonald Wines King of the Peak, Hawke’s Bay Orthodontics Queen of the Peak, and get their name in the prestigious The Scorchers Sub 50 minute and Hall of Flames Sub 60 minute clubs.

“Our aim is to now take this momentum and extend it out of the region to attract runners of all ages and abilities to come and take part,” says Ms Throp.

“We believe there’s so many unique and cool aspects to this event – not only the fundraising angle, but the relatively low entry fee, the fact that all entrants wear timing chips, people can run or walk, there’s a short and a long course, and there’s the ability for people from all ages and fitness levels to take part on either trail. It’s a great entry-level event as well as being highly competitive at the top end.”

“The buzz at the finish line is fantastic as five year olds from the short course run in at the same time as their mums or dads who have just finished the Te Mata Peak course – it’s a really great thing to be a part of.”

Ms Throp says the event would not be possible without the great support of sponsors, many of whom have been with the event since the beginning. “We are always grateful they took a punt on this crazy idea. They really are the ones who enabled this event to get up and running.”

This year’s sponsors are; Gold sponsors – Hawke’s Bay Orthodontics, Rod McDonald Wines, Hawthorne Coffee, Natasha Bousfield Tremains Real Estate, Aesthetic Dental, Bramwell Grossman, SpecSavers Hastings and BWR Chartered Accountants. Silver Sponsors – Shoe Clinic Napier, MR Labels & Print, Goodpixel, Bespoke Travel, and Simon Cartwright Photography, and Supported by Sport Hawke’s Bay and Havelock North Primary.

Entries will open in September, with full event details found at www.peaktrailblazer.co.nz

For more information please contact:
Jo Throp
Event Manager – Peak Trail Blazer
021 178 9999
info@peaktrailblazer.co.nz · peaktrailblazer.co.nz · facebook.com/peaktrailblazer · @peaktrailblazer