Media Release 
For immediate release

65th Kawerau King of the Mountain

65 Years in the making 
Saturday, 31 October 2020 

THE iconic King of the Mountain Race will celebrate its 65th ‘Blue Sapphire’ anniversary in 2020.

This year the coveted trophies are truly ‘up for grabs’ after a tumultuous year of races being cancelled and postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite a changed landscape with minimal overseas competitors likely, early indications are that entry numbers are looking good.

Widely considered as the true kaumatua of all-mountain races, it is not for the faint-hearted and everyone who finishes the race will be rewarded with a prized 65th anniversary medal.

Even the curtain-raiser race the Pūtauaki Prince and Princess of the Mountain, is a challenge for adults, let alone the nine to 13-year-old boys and girls who enter.

Like Pūtauaki maunga itself, the annual King of the Mountain Race sits at the heart of the Eastern Bay and in particular, the people of Kawerau, with all ages and various community organisations assisting with race day operations.

Pūtauaki (Mount Edgecumbe) is the most revered natural landmark in the region, tangata whenua have a strong connection to the maunga and the sheer size and magnitude of the mountain are a remarkable sight.

Incredible athletes have plied their trade in this event, many of which have gone onto international successes, with the current record holder Shay Williamson’s 45:31 time set in 2016, likely to be a hard nut to crack for many years to come.

There have been several attempts at the record and last year’s open men’s race winner Sam Clark came relatively close with 51:29.

The women’s race record of 54:09, set by Meagan Edhouse in 1995, may be safe for some time yet as no Queen of the Mountain has finished in under an hour for several years. In 2019, the women’s race was won by Ashild Krige in a time of 01:02:16.

Race Director Lee Barton (Kawerau District Council’s Events Manager) said, “While the elite athletes achieve legend status, it is the rest of the field that gains the kudos and contributes to the success of the race.”

“It really doesn’t matter how fast you go up and down, the benefits to anyone participating are so valuable. The race day atmosphere, the stunning views, challenging conditions and the race being broadcast on the large screen, all makes the entrant’s experience something to truly treasure,” Lee highlights.

In addition to the feat of conquering the mountain, this year’s entrants will all receive a beautiful race-day medal to celebrate the 65th sapphire anniversary.

There are also a variety of race categories for people to triumph in including ‘Old Tom’ a taonga carved and donated by Bill Clark, the father of the 2019 King of the Mountain and Coast to Coast winner Sam Clark.

‘Old Tom’ will be presented annually to the oldest competitor on race day. For the record, the oldest competitor to conquer the maunga is Tom Bayliss, who ran his last race in 2017 aged 83 in the respectable 3:20:19.

Race day starts with the Radio 1XX School Relays at 8:30am with laps around Waterhouse Street Reserve.

Then the curtain-raiser the Pūtauaki Prince and Princess of the race starts at 11am.

It is heartening to see these young up and coming athletes pit their all against the terrain and each other. The records for this 4km event are held by Shay Williamson set in 2007 (19:25) and Natasha Murrihy set in 2005 (21:16).

The main race starts at midday.

Entries are still available. On-line entries are open until 23:59 on Wednesday 28 October and anyone looking to fulfil a special day out should go to the website - www.kaweraukingofthemountain.co.nz before then if they would like a slice of something special. The field is limited to 150 starters and any available entries will be accepted until 11:30am on Race Day at Firmin Field.

Athletes should be mindful of their preparation, race to the weather conditions and ensure they are well-hydrated.

The event starts and finishes at Firmin Field Reserve in Waterhouse Street.

Down Hill is Easy!

Race Day Programme:
8.30am      Radio 1XX School Relays 
11:00am    Pūtauaki Prince and Princess of the Mountain
12 noon    King and Queen of the Mountain Race 
3.30pm     Prizegiving