Participants will get their Ironmahue campaign off with a 1km swim at 8.30am at Mahinepua Bay, where entrants can participate as an individual or in a relay team of two people swimming one lap at 500m each.
The course runs parallel to the beach and less confident swimmers will be able to stand up along the way and have a rest, or just stay in the shallow water and wade to the finish. Following the swim, there is a 10km run/ walk from Mahinepua to Te Ngaere Bay and back. Once again, this can be done as an individual or as a relay team for four with changeover points along the way.
Describing Saturday's event as a quarter-ironman duathlon, event spokesman Eljon Fitzgerald said the Ironmahue targeted at anyone - young and old - as well as teams of people wanting to do a little exercise.
"Ironmahue is all about completion and definitely not competition," he said.
The Ironmahue kaupapa was all about looking towards positive futures and living healthy lifestyles by exercising, eating well and looking forward.
In the past two years 70-year-olds have complete the course along with people of all shapes and sizes, whanau teams and a group of kuia aged over 65, including two who had since given up smoking.
"We simply identified a need to help improve people's health and fitness in our community and capitalise on our beautiful landscape and swimming beaches."
In trialling the tamariki-rangatahi event for local school children, Mr Fitzgerald said organisers had already enlisted participation from the four primary schools around Whangaroa and had fielded interest from other schools in Cooper's Beach and Kaitaia.
"We're trying to push this exercise theme into homes through the kids as well as the parents - exercise and healthy lifestyles," he said.
Every child who crosses the finish line will be given medal, and there is also a medal for every Ironmahue participant who crosses the finish-line, along with a t-shirt and other goodies inside every entry pack.
Ironmahue 2016 will also feature a health check tent supported by One Heart Many Lives, which is a series of seminars in the Kaeo Memorial Hall to promote cooking healthy meals, food preparation and maintaining a healthy lifestyle balance, healthy food stalls and entertainment. Mr Fitzgerald said the Ironmahue had attracted widespread interest and recently featured in the New Zealand Geographic (September 2015 issue) and also earned a spot on Maori TV. Registration forms are available on the event website or by email ironmahue@gmail.com
