This week the Chronicle caught up with Francois Mazet, organiser of the Raglan Karioi Trail, (RKT) to see what his plans were for the 2020 event.
Tell us a little about the history of the event and what is the plan for RKT this year.
The Raglan Karioi Trail was created in 2013 and has always been the second Saturday of December. This is the eighth edition this year on Saturday 12 December.
At the start, I created the event because I always have so much fun running on Karioi Maunga so I wanted to share the experience.
The event has now become an iconic mountain trail running event in New Zealand.
Who doe the event generally appeal to?
Everyone. We offer different type of distances. The main thing of the event is to discover Mount Karioi and challenge yourself if you are doing the 24km.
This is a community event designed to give the opportunity to families and friends to share a day of exercise together.
You can also challenge yourself against some of the best trail runners in New Zealand and meet fellow runners during the after race.
What options are there for competitors?
There is 3 distance option: the 24km which necessitates some training prior to the event. This trail one of the most challenging mountain runs in New Zealand for that distance.
The 10km that you can run or walk. This is typically a distance done for every one to enjoy the Karioi Maunga and be part of the event. Attention, there are some amazing trail runners on that distance too so come and check how fast you are. No worries, if you are not too much of a competitor and want to be part of the Raglan Karioi Trail 2020 you can still give it a go.
Then we have the family trail run of 5km.
We often have family members who are sprayed on all the distances and then catch around the BBQ after the finish line while waiting for the price giving.
Are there any changes for the 2020 event ?
No change! The Raglan Karioi Trail is now an established event and we are happy with the distance option we are offering.
Our attention is to improve the way we look after our participants every year. We are really taking care to offer them an unforgettable experience: All details are important!
This is why the tracks will be ready for you. The water will wait for you at the top of the ridge and the sausages will be ready when you cross the finish line! We have vegan option too!
We will again limited the number of entries this year to keep the event a community event size!! How do people find out more and get involved.
You can find all details on our website
Early bird price until mid October
As we are trying to improve the way we look after our participant, we are looking for extra volunteers this year. It’s a fun day for every one!
Please contact us on francois@raglankarioitrail.co.nz
