Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post / Sport

Enduro event 'one of a kind'

Gary Hamilton-Irvine
Rotorua Daily Post·
11 Dec, 2015 08:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
WHITE WATER: Rotorua's Ben Robson (pictured) founded the six-hour Okere Enduro three years ago. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

WHITE WATER: Rotorua's Ben Robson (pictured) founded the six-hour Okere Enduro three years ago. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Paddle, hold on, run, repeat.

That's roughly the formula teams will use during the annual Okere Enduro today.

The six-hour endurance race sees teams of three complete as many laps of the Kaituna River as possible.

"As far as I'm aware it is the only event of its kind in the world," event founder and organiser Ben Robson said. "Here in Rotorua we are blessed that we have the Kaituna River, it's ideal because it's safe and logistically it is easy to organise."

The event was first staged in 2012 and has attracted a full field again this year with 75 paddlers (25 teams) taking part.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It works out to be roughly six to seven minutes on the river," he said. "In terms of distance, it is only about 1500m and about the same distance getting back up to the top."

He said at the end of your paddle, participants put their kayak in a trailer then run back to the top to tag their next team mate.

Robson said he came up with the idea to hold the Okere Enduro after taking part in similar events on his mountain bike.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I'm a mountain biker and I had done events like the Moonride andday and night rides, and always wanted to apply it to kayaking because of the good atmosphere."

The Western Heights High School teacher explained each team would feature at least one guy and one girl.

"You have to have a mixed team of three. The whole point is to encourage everyone to get involved."

The record amount of laps completed in six hours is 26, set last year by Olympian Mike Dawson, Martina Wegman and Zack Mutton. Dawson is not available this year but Wegman and Mutton will be joined by Oscar McBurney to try and defend the title.

Discover more

Kayaking: Enduro tribute to kayaker

13 Dec 07:53 PM

Robson said there was a great community of paddlers based out of Okere Falls, many of who would be taking part.

He said a good group of rafters, who returned home from Indonesia this week after medalling at the World Rafting Championships, would also be racing.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Premium
Rotorua Daily Post

'I’m no longer fighting': How a Kiwi athlete won ultra trail-running's biggest prize

13 Feb 04:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Age is not a limit’: 40 years of family and finish lines at iconic multisport event

10 Feb 04:36 AM
Sport

'No brainer': All Blacks duo recommits to New Zealand Rugby until 2028

09 Feb 05:07 PM

Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Premium
Premium
'I’m no longer fighting': How a Kiwi athlete won ultra trail-running's biggest prize
Rotorua Daily Post

'I’m no longer fighting': How a Kiwi athlete won ultra trail-running's biggest prize

Ruth Croft on running around Mt Blanc in 23 hours, overcoming bulimia and her zen bubble.

13 Feb 04:00 PM
‘Age is not a limit’: 40 years of family and finish lines at iconic multisport event
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Age is not a limit’: 40 years of family and finish lines at iconic multisport event

10 Feb 04:36 AM
'No brainer': All Blacks duo recommits to New Zealand Rugby until 2028
Sport

'No brainer': All Blacks duo recommits to New Zealand Rugby until 2028

09 Feb 05:07 PM


Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk
Sponsored

Cyber crime in 2025: Increased specialisation, increased collaboration, increased risk

09 Feb 09:12 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP