Mike McRoberts' Taupo marathon full of adventures

Mike McRoberts will start the marathon at 7.30am with other participants, but will deviate from the course to complete a Huka Falls jet boat ride, bungy jump and tandem skydive. Photo / Doug Sherring

Television presenter Mike McRoberts is looking forward to running the Hoka One One Taupo Marathon today - albeit with an unusual twist.

McRoberts will toe the start line of New Zealand's newest marathon at 7.30am with the other participants, but will deviate from the 42.195km course to complete a Huka Falls jet boat ride, bungy jump and tandem skydive.

Finally McRoberts will return to the course where he hopes to complete the marathon before the 4.30pm cut-off.

The seasoned reporter confesses that he is scared of heights - it will be his first sky-dive and bungy-jump - and he is truly terrified.

"I'm 50 next year," says McRoberts. "I just thought if not now, then when? It's a great time of life to take on these sort of adventures."

Total Sport managing director Aaron Carter is delighted with the unique new marathon course: "Our vision with the inaugural Hoka One One Taupo Marathon was to create a world-class course [half off-road, and half on-road] that showcases the best 'bits' Taupo has to offer."

Marathon participants start at Huka Falls and head north on well-formed river trails to Aratiatia Dam, before heading back towards Taupo through the Wairakei Thermal Area. Passing Huka Falls again, participants dive through a stand of towering Redwoods and meander down through grassland to join the half-marathon course along Taupo's stunning lakefront.

Event manager Mark Fordham is excited about the opportunity to showcase different aspects of Taupo: "There is such a sense of variety over the course - the falls, forests, thermal areas, the dam - and then around the bays and lakefront. I think people will get to the finish and still be thinking back on what they have achieved three or four hours later, saying 'Wow - that was cool'."

The event has an option for all fitness levels with 5km and 10km options complementing the longer distances - as in previous years, the shorter courses follow the Taupo lakefront.

The Hoka One One Taupo Marathon is the second event in the Run Taupo Series, with the Kinloch Off-road Challenge rounding out the series on September 5.

The first section of the new Hoka Taupo marathon course runs alongside the Waikato River.

Hoka One One Taupo Marathon

• What: Marathon, 21km, 10km and 5km run
• When: today
• Where: Taupo
• For more info: taupohalfmarathon.org.nz; kinlochoffroadchallenge.co.nz