With six months to go, now is the time to start thinking about your company’s involvement in the 2013 Great Adventure Race to Cure Kids.

Jennifer Rutherford and Steve Haddock are championing the involvement of tech companies in the race and will be reporting in regularly in the lead up to the 2013 events.

In this instalment, Jennifer Rutherford outlines the basics of the race and why you should get involved.

It is only six months since the inaugural IT Challenge Cup, which was part of the 2012 Great Adventure Race to Cure Kids. The IT industry really got behind the multi-industry event, raising over $100,000 and having the largest representation of any single industry.

It was a great result – but we’re aiming even higher for 2013!

The next race is now six months away and to raise interest, awareness and gain even more support we are holding an information session (drinking session at Sales Street) on November 8 from 17:00.

The race is not for the light-hearted, but it is an incredible way to Cure Kids. Every year the course changes and is set by the legendary course commandant Alan Nelson.

You get to go to places in the Hunua Ranges (for North Island participants in 2013) or Queenstown (for the South Island entrants) where few people are allowed.

The race normally consists of three disciplines. You need to be fit as there is mountain biking and cross-country running as well as the occasional swim (or at least a cold dip in a river somewhere!).

Even more important is the orienteering that is required. The route is kept more secret than the Coca-Cola recipe right up until race day.

Why put yourself through this self-imposed torture? Cure Kids raises money to invest in research that provides cures for many diseases and has prolonged the lives of many children.

Steve Haddock did the first race in 2004 and ironically this was the same year his daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia. Cure Kids funding has raised the life expectancy of children with this disease to over 80% and improved their quality of life.

This is a great event to prove that the IT industry is a great place to work. It’s a great way to build teams and to get to know a broad group of people. The personal satisfaction you get from receiving your finishers medal is not to be underestimated either!

We are hoping to get 20 teams from the technology industry next year (versus 12 in 2012) and I really hope to see you there.

Even more important, create a challenge with your peer and competitive companies as this really seems to be a way to inspire the greatest exploits. There were some notable companies missing in 2012 and I would hate to see this happen in 2013.

For more information read The Channel article here or check out the Cure Kids site