North Otago residents are being encouraged to get ‘‘Off the Couch’’ and take part in a fun multisport series.
The Oamaru Multisport Club is running its regular November Fun Run/Walk & Duathlon Series, with events every Wednesday for the next three weeks, open to people of all ages and abilities.
The Fun Run/Walk event is a 2.5km, 5km or 10km run or walk and the Off The Couch Duathlon features a 2km run, then a 4km bike ride and finishes with a 500m run.
Event co-organiser Diane Talanoa said they used different distances as a way of making the events accessible to as many people as possible.
‘‘We get people coming along for a wander, and that might be grandparents and grandkids, it might be parents with their little ones, it might be people who are older and just want to get out with some mates, [or] it might be people who want to run competitively.’’
People could also decide whether to enter as individuals or part of a team.
Ms Talanoa got a lot of satisfaction from seeing people achieve something they did not think possible.
‘‘It’s really cool . . . they get such a buzz, because they actually achieve it and they go: ‘Wow, I just did that. I’ve been out there and . . . I did it all and it only took me an hour and a-half and wow’.
‘‘I love that, because it’s about people getting out and having a go.’’
Co-organiser Adair Craik said she could not wait to run the series again, especially without the restrictions of last year.
‘‘We’re out of Covid restrictions, so there’s no issues with anything like that. So it just gives us so much more freedom, so we’re really keen to see everyone back again.’’
The series will start on Wednesday night from the harbour playground.
