Michael Jacques is far too busy to think about popping champagne to mark a significant birthday for one of the region’s most popular multisport events.

When first run in 2006, Porirua Grand Traverse (PGT) had 240 participants testing themselves over, in and around Porirua’s hills, forests, coastlines and waterways. By 2020 the numbers had swelled to more than 1000.

Twenty years after its first iteration, PGT has gone from being a major challenge for serious multisporters to a true festival of fitness and a major community occasion, says current event manager Michael Jacques.

"Porirua Grand Traverse was founded by a group of people who thought the city’s awesome outdoor resources would be a perfect way to showcase the region and encourage locals to explore their back yard," he says.

"With the fun run, the fun bike, multisport and duathlon races, mountain biking and mountain running, it caters for everyone and we’ve been lucky to enjoy plenty of local support - from Porirua City Council to local volunteer groups, sponsors and families.

"Our motto is ‘all ages, all abilities, all amazing’ - we want PGT to be one of the most inclusive endurance events in the country."

Local Deb Lynch, a three-time PGT winner, recently took out the iconic Coast to Coast event in the South Island for the first time. Michael proudly says Olympic and world champions have also regularly taken part in Porirua’s big day.

Based at Whitireia Polytechnic, Michael says about 120 volunteers are needed to make PGT run smoothly on the day. Over 20 years, the amazing people who have helped make it so successful is a "staggering" number, with total volunteers numbering well over 1000, he says.

The trust that organises PGT might enjoy a celebratory drink post-race, but for now there’s too much to do before this year’s big day, Sunday 6 April, Michael says.

"Anniversary years are always popular and right now we’re tracking well ahead of previous events."

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