A group of Rotorua kids have done the hard yards running a relay from Taupo to Rotorua to raise money for an upcoming rugby trip to Australia.
Saturday's sponsored relay run raised about $8500 for the Marist St Michael's under 12 rugby team to travel to the Gold Coast at the end of September.
Relay organiser Greg Sheehan said they had 17 team members running, with three away. The relay started at Owen Delaney Park in Taupo at 7am.
He said each member was required to run five kilometres, but in the second half the boys started running in twos or threes, so they all ran more.
The boys found their own sponsors, such as friends, family and parents' colleagues, and most were sponsored on a per kilometre basis, he said.