Tauranga Special School ready for Mount Maunganui Half Marathon relay event

Tauranga Special School students are taking part in the Mount Maunganui Half Marathon on Saturday. L-R Georgia Kemble year 8, Sebastian Smith year 9, Flynn Stockdale year 5, Cruz Turner year 8, Tegan

Calais Janes loved being part of the Tauranga Special School's relay team in last year's Mount Maunganui Half Marathon so much he's running his own race this Saturday.

Not the full 21.2 kilometres - that's a bit too far for the Year 8 student – but he's determined to complete the 5km run being held in conjunction with the longer event.

But while Calais gets ready for his special event, another team from the special school will again be tag teaming in a relay from Simpson Reserve through Papamoa, along Ocean Beach Rd and Marine Parade before doing a lap around the Mauao base track to the finish on Main Beach.

It's the third time a team from the school has competed.

"It's such a great event for our kids and parents to take part in," says teacher Jo Crean who's put the team together.

There'll be seven in the relay team – Devon Burt, Georgia Kemble, Sebastian Smith, Fabio Taylor-Eynon, Tegan Oxenham, Cruze Turner and Flynn Stockdale.

Two of the team are in wheelchairs and the others will run or jog for as far as they can go. If the team is out of runners or wheelers and there's still some distance left, then some of the parents will have to complete the job.

According to Crean, the organisers of the event are "just fantastic" to the team.

"Every one of our team will get a finisher's medal and that gives them such a sense of achievement."

What's more, while many roads on the course will be closed on Saturday morning, the team from Tauranga Special School will be accompanied by a support vehicle.

"But as well as picking up and dropping off our team members and their equipment, the vehicle will be carrying a whole lot of noisy supporters too," says Crean.

"Everybody down at our end of the event will know Tauranga Special School is there."

And maybe one or more of the students taking part in the relay this year will be inspired, like Calais, to take part in an individual event next year.

WHAT: Hello World Hawaiian Airlines Mount Maunganui Half Marathon
WHERE: Start - Simpson Reserve, Papamoa.
Finish - Main Beach.
WHEN: Saturday, 8.30am.
ALSO: 5km run Main Beach 8am
10km run Main Beach 8.15am