Te Ururoa Flavell has traded in regulation for running shoes after saying haere ra to the Beehive.
The former Waiariki MP, Minister of Maori Development and Maori Party co-leader has not only started a consultancy business and lectured at Waikato University since losing his seat last year, he has beenhitting the pavement and will be on the Rotorua Marathon starting line this Saturday.
"One or two people have been badgering me to do it. It is an opportunity to do a bucket list thing. I might not get another chance and I have been pretty inspired over the years watching people. Better now than never," he said on Thursday.
His goal is simply to finish the 42km.
"I recently did a 21km run at Mt Ngongotaha fairly comfortably, but the question is, can I double that? If I get three-quarters of the way, the last part is just grit."
He said he had tried to stay fit during his 12 years in Parliament but never to this level.
Meanwhile, Rotorua Marathon race director Murray Fleming said entries were tracking "really well".
"There are so many events now, most entry numbers are dropping because the market is so saturated but we are on track for 3500 runners across all of Saturday's events, up from 2800 last year."
Today 2500 primary school students will complete the final 2.1km of their "Mini Marathon" outside the Energy Events Centre
When the runners from all over the Rotorua District and Tauranga race, it will be the last of 40km of running (or walking) in their training diary in the build-up to the official marathon event.
Rotorua Marathon Road Closures, Saturday May 5: Queens Drive from 6am to 6pm, Hinemare St southbound, from Arawa St to Amohau St (7.45am to 6pm), one half of parts of Arawa St, Ranolf St and Lake Rd (7.45am to 10.30am), Fenton St from Arawa St to Whakaue St, both sides (7.45am to 10.30am), Hamurana Rd from Unsworth Rd to SH33 at Mourea (9am to 1.30pm)
