Superheroes are strong – but so are cancer fighters.

That’s the message one group of runners wants to portray as they don superhero costumes for the 12-hour Tauranga Relay for Life fundraiser.

Relay for Life is returning to Tauranga on March 14 after a multi-year hiatus, and will raise money for the Cancer Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty.

Teams of relayers will run or walk around the Jordan Field track at Memorial Park over 12 hours.

The Asgardians of the Earth team’s six‑member crew includes Jess Tresidder, Emma Scott, Rachel Springfield, Lynley Voyle, Keira Thirkell and Georgia Thirkell as they bring costume flair to the track.

Inspired by the grit, strength and courage they had witnessed first-hand in loved ones facing cancer, the team’s costumes may be fictional, but the heroes they are honouring are anything but.

For them, Relay for Life is far more than a bit of superhero fun; it’s a heartfelt tribute.

Jess Tresidder, the organiser of the Asgardians of the Earth team, said the decision to take part this year felt timely.

“Cancer touches so many families – including ours ...

“Several of us have had friends or loved ones diagnosed recently, and others have lost people they care about in the last little while.”

When it happened close to home, the impact felt different.

Tresidder spoke of parents, grandparents, friends and colleagues among the team, some who survived and some who did not – all of whom showed remarkable strength.

Relay For Life became a way to channel that feeling into action, to honour those who were lost, to support those still in treatment and to do it all alongside others in the community who were united by the same cause.

Jess Tresidder as Loki (left), Emma Scott as Thor and Rachel Springfield as Valkyrie. Photo / Jess Stratton

The superhero theme grew naturally from those conversations.

Tresidder said superheroes represented the qualities the group had seen first-hand in the people they were honouring.

Together, the group sat down and talked about each member’s personalities, the strengths they leaned on and the traits they admired in each other, and how these were reflected in Marvel superheroes: Thor’s determination, Loki’s cleverness, Sif’s loyalty, Valkyrie’s courage, Jane’s compassion and Hela’s fierce strength.

“Some of us chose characters who mirror who we are, and others chose the ones we aspire to be.

“It became a really meaningful way of acknowledging that strength comes in all forms, and every kind of strength has a place at Relay for Life,” Tresidder said.

On the day, the team will walk in full costume; capes where possible, props if practical, and a themed playlist to keep spirits up over the long hours.

Relay for Life organiser Tracey Wood said she was already hearing great feedback from the community about the event. She was excited to see the community come together again.

“This event isn’t about speed or distance; it’s about people coming together to do something challenging while honouring someone they know who has been affected by cancer.”

Relay for Life is hoping to raise $50,000 this year to support Cancer Society services across the Bay of Plenty.

Wood said all of the Cancer Society’s services were reliant on public generosity to fund the nurses, drivers and counsellors on the front line, the accommodation that houses families, and the research pushing treatments forward.

One in three New Zealanders will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, according to Cancer Society NZ.

For Relay for Life registrations or event details, visit www.relayforlife.org.nz or phone the Cancer Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty on 0800 22 77 44.

Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.