The Tangaroa Challenge is opening its entries this year to emergency services and armed forces.
The multisport event had its inaugural year in 2010 with secondary schools from as far as Auckland and New Plymouth attending.

Ashley and Ben Cochrane will be getting involved in the multisport event this year . Photo by Tracy Hardy.

The Tangaroa Challenge was created by race director Steve Lakes after Mount Maunganui College principal Terry Collett asked him to create an event to showcase the region.
'Originally it was a concept for Mount College, but it expanded,” says Steve.
'This was an opportunity to showcase the peninsula and show that our school had a top class multisport event in the great city we live in. It worked really well last year and now we want to expand it out.”
The race attracted 56 secondary school competitors last year and Steve hopes to get many more with emergency services and armed forces on board.
'It is a great team building exercise for corporate teams. It's a great opportunity to get out and about and explore the peninsula for a couple of hours.”
The Tangaroa Challenge will take place on August 5. It explores the Mount Maunganui peninsula – beginning in Omanu, travelling through Matapihi, over to Pilot Bay and around Mauao to finish at Mount Maunganui College.
Steve says he opened the event for Simon Bridges and other Bay of Plenty MP's last year and is 'hoping to encourage a local government team to join in the fun” this year.
For more information phone Steve on 021 060 4597.