We get our COVID-19 information from HERE

Event Sector Voluntary Code October 2020

Update 5 October 2020

I am pleased to announce that land access for the 65th Kawerau King of the Mountain race has been approved.  We would like to thank Maori Investments Ltd. and Nga Maunga Kaitiaki Trust for this approval to proceed.

Prince & Princess training will commence on Wednesday 7 October, meeting at 4 pm for a 4.30 pm start. 

If you’re attending training or race day, please observe the following guidelines:

• Scan your phone on the QR codes on-site at Firmin Field, this is to assist with contact tracing if required
• If you are unable to scan the QR code, we request that you provide your details and phone number on arrival
• If you’re sick, please do not attend training

Race day is set for Saturday 31 October and will only proceed if the region is at COVID-19 Alert Level 1.

Entries are now open:

• Radio 1XX School Relays – School Relay Entry 2020 final     Team Managers Memo 2020
• Kawerau King of the Mountain –  https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=37527
• Prince & Princess Race – https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=37534

We are keeping our fingers crossed that there is no escalation of the Alert Levels.

If you are looking to train outside of official training, please obtain a permit from Maori Investments Ltd.  You will need a minimum of three in a training party and carry cell phones.

We look forward to seeing you in Kawerau on Saturday 31 October.

Further updates will be posted on this page if required.

Race Director

Lee Barton

END

Previous updates

Update 25 September 2020

On Monday 21 September (Midnight) the Auckland region maintained COVID-19 AL 2 (to be reviewed on 5 October with possible de-escalation midnight 7 October) – the rest of NZ moved into AL 1.

While this is fantastic news for events, which can now proceed with no limits on attendees, however, there are still a number of challenges which have emerged for this event.  This is why online entries have been frozen temporarily. 

The landowners of Pūtauaki and the surrounding Tarawera Forest have indicated that land access is on hold for Prince & Princess training and race day. A final decision will be made by the landowners on Thursday 1 October, after which we will be in a position to inform you of that decision.

We hope that we receive the blessing of the landowners to proceed.

If we receive the blessing of the landowners, we will look to commence P&P training sessions on Wednesday 7 October at 4 pm from Firmin Field. 

Race day on Saturday 31 October will only proceed if:

1. Land access has been granted
2. We are at Alert Level 1
3. All our essential personnel can provide safety services

If we are able to proceed with training and ultimately the 65th year of this iconic event, we will be applying the principles of the Events Sector ‘COVID Code’.  Essentially what this means is that you must not attend training or race day if you’re sick STAY HOME (refunds will be provided to anyone who withdraws their entry) or if you have been into contact with sick people prior to attending, irrespective of whether they have been tested positive for COVID-19 or not STAY HOME.

By sick, we mean all the classic symptoms of flu, mild or major.

We will ask you to check-in using the Ministry of Health Contact Tracing App, which will be printed in multiple locations at the event site, additionally, we will ask any attendees to provide contact details and we will record car registrations, all for contact tracing purposes. 

Please be responsible with following this, it is extremely important for maintaining health/government guidelines, the reputation of this event, giving confidence to our stakeholders and the entire NZ events sectors, which has been working harder than ever to keep the sector alive.

We may also need to apply additional sanctions on entrants who may be in a region at an Alert Level higher than our region.  This is something which our neighbours in Rotorua have applied on Auckland based entries, who are not permitted to enter the Rotorua Marathon.  We understand that this is a difficult decision to make, and we hope to not be in the same position to apply the same sanctions, but we will do this if necessary.  

On good news, we have received extremely positive responses from New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) and The Horizon Trust (previously EBET), who have approved funding grants to assist with the delivery of the race.  This was an enormous uncertainty for us to be sure we could safely deliver the race, therefore to receive this valuable support and confidence from our funders is a significant positive, I would like to personally thank them for this support. It will allow us to inject critical finance back into the event sector suppliers and local volunteer groups.

Finally, for those of you that attended the prize giving at last years event, I promised a special occasion this year.  Little did I know that we would be fighting to even deliver the race.  We have a number of critical factors that all need to work in harmony with each other, therefore, if we have a race on 31 October, it will undoubtedly be the most special race ever, purely because it takes place.  I am unable to provide a guarantee of any major prizes-safety comes first. 

We are receiving lots of enquiries from people wishing to either enter or have entered.  I thank you for your patience in waiting for our responses.  I’d like to encourage you to continue training and staying physically and mentally well.  Please be aware that we do not sanction people training on Pūtauaki without permission, you must acquire a permit from Māori Investments Limited.

Stay Safe everyone and by 2 October I will have another update for you.

Race Director

Lee Barton

END

Update 9 September 2020

The NZ government will announce on 14 September which COVID-19 Alert Level the nation will be in as of midnight 16 September.

Training for the Prince and Princess race will NOT be commencing on 16 September and until further notice.

Race Director

Lee Barton

END

Update 1 September 2020

At 23:59 hrs on Sunday 30 August the Auckland region returned to AL2 with the rest of the nation.  A further update by the NZ government on the future of Alert Levels is on September 6.

Entries are currently open and we will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether the race will be able to proceed or need to be postponed.

Race Director

Lee Barton

END

Update 14 August 2020

On Wednesday 12 August 2020 the Auckland region returned to COVID-19 Alert Level (AL) 3 and the rest of New Zealand (including Kawerau) to Alert Level 2.

Entries into the race have been frozen until further information becomes available.  We have received a number of entries already and if you are one of those, you will understandably be wondering what happens next.

If the event is cancelled, full refunds will be offered to those already entered.  If the race proceeds and you are unable to attend, a full refund will be offered.

At AL2, the race can still proceed within government guidelines of less than 100 people attending.  Our preference is to proceed with the event and this may mean a postponement date. 

Thank you for your patience and we will keep you updated.

Race Director

Lee Barton

END

Race Day Schedule

Kawerau Adventure Hub | Firmin Lodge, Kawerau

(Waterhouse St.)

8.15 am | School relays briefing at Firmin Lodge

8.30 am | School relay teams to Waterhouse Street Reserve

9.00 am | Radio 1XX School Relays Start | Waterhouse Street Reserve (Years 1 & 2, following by years 3 & 4)

9.30 am | Registrations Open | Registration Tent

9.45 am | Safety Services Brief | Firmin Lodge

10.00 am | Safety Services to positions

10.10 am | Radio 1XX School Relays Prize Giving | On Stage

10.45 am | P&P Race Competitors | To Start Line

10.50 am | P&P Race Brief | Start Line

11.00 am | P&P Race Start | Live on Screen

11.30 am | Registrations Close

11.45 am | Main Race Competitors | To Start Line

11.50 am | Main Race Brief | Start Line

Midday | Main Race Start | Live on Screen

3.30 pm | Prize Giving | On Stage

News Release 31 July 2020

Entries open for 65th Kawerau Mountain Race

Planning is rapidly underway to deliver the 65th Kawerau King of the Mountain on Saturday 31 October. 

2020 has been a year that most people will want to wipe away from their memories and despite the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread disruption experienced across many sectors, the aim is to preserve the long history of the Kawerau mountain race.

Online entries are now available here for anyone aged 14 upwards who would like to enter this year’s event.

Adult entries are $70 and Junior’s $50.

Kawerau Residents Rate

Entries are also available for any Kawerau residents who would like to take advantage of the discounted entry fee. 

Kawerau residents can enter the race by visiting the Kawerau Visitor Information Centre on Plunket Street in Kawerau.  Residents will need to provide two forms of I.D. to confirm their Kawerau residency – 1) proof of identity and 2) proof of address. 

Adult entries are $40 and Junior’s $30.

Anniversary Year

This year is an anniversary race (65 years) and the tradition of the main event is that all finishers receive a medal at the finish line.  Considering the pandemic situation, a finishers medal will be even more special to treasure.

Pūtauaki Prince & Princess race

Training sessions for the Pūtauaki Prince & Princess of the Mountain (P&P) will start on Wednesday 16 September.  There will be six training sessions, each Wednesday meeting at Firmin Lodge at 4 pm for a 4:30 pm start. 

The training sessions use the actual race day course (4km) on the lower foothills on Pūtauaki,  this is to help the young runners become familiar with the course and gradually improve their times each week.  Adults are more than welcome to join the aspiring young runners at training each week.

Entries for the P&P race are free and available online here.