By Stuart Whitaker

A specially-adapted trailer, 7000m of tape on reels, and 620 “pigtail” fencing posts. 

That’s what it takes to set up the 12km and 6km cross country courses at Waipuna Park for the Zespri AIMS Games. 

The man behind the set up is Malcolm Taylor, who’s been mapping out the course since the games began in 2004. 

He could probably name almost every winner over the last 21 years. 

That’s because he’s got a full set of results and even knows who won AIMS Games’ first-ever cross country race, which was actually Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell. 

“It’s probably the best spectator course in New Zealand. It’s a natural grandstand.”

Taylor will no doubt be jotting down the 2025 AIMS winners in his records. 

He was particularly impressed with Paraparaumu Beach School’s Lucie Thomson, who finished a split second over 11 minutes – a whole 25 seconds ahead of second place.

Lucie’s time was less than six seconds off the Year 8 girls’ record set by Tauranga Intermediate’s Renee Carey in 2019, Taylor explains matter-of-factly. 

He anticipates that record will be broken if Lucie returns in 2026.

“She should take it if she just improves naturally.”

Taylor, who is a life member of Athletics Tauranga and was awarded a Queen’s Birthday Honour in 2007 for services to athletics, takes a keen interest in the AIMS cross country races.

The 73-year-old knows the course like the back of his hand.

He reckons he can tell just by the weather conditions whether record-breaking runs are likely.

“The critical thing about the course is the wind. If you’ve got neutral wind, or no wind, you’ve got a chance. The underfoot conditions don’t play as big a part as the wind does,” he said. 

“If you’ve got a head wind when you return from the bottom field, you’re going to struggle to beat the record.”

Setting up the course is a six-person job using Taylor’s specially adapted trailer, which is towed behind his Toyota four-wheel drive.

He has 620 “pigtails” and 7000m of tape on reels.

It takes two people to put out the pigtails, two to thread the tape and one to keep an eye on the reels. Malcolm drives.

Packing up is made easier by modified battery drills winding the tape back onto the reels.

Originally a 3km course, there have been some minor changes, mostly to cater for the increasing numbers of athletes taking part.

That included a 50m reduction in course length, a removal of a bottleneck alongside Kaitemako Rd and a slight re-route after roots from a walnut tree got too big. 

An up-hill section was also taken out to make the course slightly easier.

“It’s still quite a tough course,” Taylor said. “The idea is to get them all around safely.”

Article added: Thursday 04 September 2025