Cross country race on the Vanilla island of Tahaa
The island of Taha’a hosts the 5th Raid Vanira on Saturday, 5 April 2014. This race is organized by the Taha’a Vanira association in partnership with the “Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports”. In its 5th consecutive year, this sporting event is organized around a central theme ; the celebration of vanilla “made in Taha’a”. The vanilla produced in Taha’a is a source of real pride for its inhabitants and one of the rare Polynesian products exported worldwide. Thus, it seems appropriate to celebrate it through this event.
The Raid Vanira is a 9.3 miles cross country race on rough island terrain. This is typically humid, tropical rain forest type of topography with lots of vegetation. The course crosses the most beautiful sites on the island notably through the vanilla plantations. The start is at the Potoru village to finish in the beautiful Ha’amene municipality. The runners visit the heights of the island where they can take in the beautiful view of the two Patii and Haamene bays. Despite these splendid landscapes, the participants still undergo a grueling sporting challenge. A test of speed, strength and endurance since this course often entails climbing and negotiating rough terrain in the fastest possible time. Needless to say that this type of race emphasizes team spirit where each competitor has to progress to several checkpoints of the course with his team intact. You are only as fast as your slowest man, since a team has to finish together with all members complete – hand in hand upon crossing the finish line.
Last year, the raid Vanira hosted around 70 teams of two runners each : 21 uni-sex teams, 39 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams. For this new edition, each team aims to beat last year’s record ; 1:39 for the men’s category; 2:21 for the women’s and 2:00 for the uni-sex category.
At the finish line and post-race, the finishers are welcomed by a lot of cheers and music at the Ha’amene arrival. They can dance to the Ukulele and To’ere rhythms while savoring local fresh fruits for rest and post-race refreshments. There are craft stands where artisans share and present their ancestral wares.
Most notably, the participants enjoy some vanilla workshops to discover the various steps of its preparation (scalding, steaming, drying and calibration). The vanilla farmers take this opportunity to present their produce. The vanilla of Taha’a is famous and is often considered as a distinct species, receiving numerous many national awards: A Gold Medal in 2012 and Award of Excellence in 2011 at the “Concours Général Agricole” of France…
Another unique and sporty way to discover Tahaa : On your mark, get set…go !
