The barquentine Spirit of New Zealand is expected to make an appearance in Tauranga over the weekend, honouring the memory of Hamish Rieger.

Hamish is a former trainee who died when snatched from blowhole by a rogue wave on January 23, 2016.

Depending on the weather, the sail training ship is expected to arrive in time for the Mount Joggers and Walkers Half Marathon on Sunday.

It's the second of 12 half-marathons that Hamish's parents Donna and Greg plan to complete in an effort to raise funds for the ‘I Ride With Hame' project, which is creating scholarships for the Spirit of Adventure Trust.

'It's a real tribute for him and his family, they are in the process of running 12 marathons and the funds going toward scholarships for students from that area, Mount Maunganui and Tauranga to come up on board the spirit, with those proceeds, so it's a privilege to be part of that too,” says the trust's media manager Talei Williams.

'And we want to honour that by being there as part of the trainees that are coming from the voyage and participating as much as we can in that event, the Mount half marathon.”

The 40 students on board from Auckland's Diocesan School For Girls, Darfield high School, Christchurch, Hamilton Boys High School and St Andrews College Christchurch are expected to be taking part in the five km round the Mauao base track walk.

Donna and Greg set up the ‘I Ride With Hame' project in honour of Hamish who returned from his training voyage on board Spirit of New Zealand with a new outlook on life. He started what he called the ‘health train' which included a decision to run a half-marathon – a dream his parents are now finishing for him 12 times over.

'We've always said from the word go this would be a pay-back to the Spirit,” says Greg. 'What Hamish got out of the Spirit was being even more determined than what he was when he went in.”

To support the ‘I Ride With Hame' fundraiser, donate direct to ASB 12-3011-0461607-52. All funds go towards the Spirit of Adventure Trust.

To join the Riegers by doing any of the 12 half-marathons, contact Greg via the Facebook page ‘I Ride With Hame'.

Hamish was also a surf life guard at Mount Maunganui. All surf lifesaving clubs have been invited to don their club shirts during the Mount Joggers and Walkers Half Marathon on June 4 as a tribute to Hamish.

Donna and Greg's next half-marathon is the Mount Maunganui Half-Marathon on August 26, which they're calling Hamish's Birthday Bash. They're also planning another half-marathon in Auckland in July.

The Port of Tauranga is expecting Spirit of New Zealand alongside the Mount Maunganui wharf's No 1 berth at 2.30pm, from where it is scheduled to depart at 9am on Sunday.