To those who know them, it may come as no surprise that Ōamaru siblings Breanna and Mason Kingan are taking part in this weekend’s Coast to Coast race; it’s in their blood.

The teens come from a family of adventure lovers, with parents Twyla and Callum raising them along with younger brother Fergus,11, to love a good excursion.

“We're born into it,” says 16-year-old Mason, who is year 12 at Waitaki Boys’ High School.

The Coast to Coast is a multi-discipline, 243km adventure race which starts on the West Coast’s Kumara Beach on Friday (February 7), covers the width of the South Island, and ends on Brighton Beach near Christchurch. 

Breanna, 17, and Mason are taking part in the two-day, two-person relay event.

The pair have watched their father take part twice, and do the Goat’s Pass mountain run once, while Mum was part of a team which took on the equally daunting Godzone race.

This Friday, day one, Mason starts the race with a 2.2km run, into a 55km bike ride. Breanna then taps in with the 30.5km run over Goat’s Pass.

She has already been over the pass with the family, including Fergus, so isn’t too daunted by the prospect. 

“It's pretty wicked up there.”

Breanna leaping across Goat's Pass, with younger brother Fergus following close behind. Photo: Supplied

On day two Mason starts with a 15km bike ride to his kayak for a 70km paddle down the Waimakariri River to meet Breanna who is on a road bike for 70+km to the finish line.

The pair have been officially in training since October, and competed in the Challenge Wanaka Multi, which was a 25km kayak, 43km mountain bike and 14km trail run, although they both already had a great fitness base from playing winter sports and just being part of the Kingan family.

The pair say training has been conflict-free so far.

“Because we're not doing it together, so we don't have to train together,” Breanna says.

The year 13 Waitaki Girls’ High School student also lived and worked at Ohau for the summer, so was mostly left to her own devices training-wise.

“Then every once a month, when I was up there, we ended up doing a big old hike somewhere, as a family.”

Wanting to get into kayaking was a motivating factor for Mason, and this will be his fourth race in the boat.

He says it’s “pretty good”.

“It keeps you awake! There's always waves and rapids.”

Mason gets some time in on the water, before the Coast to Coast this weekend. Photo: Supplied

The pair don’t expect to place in the race, but will be disappointed if they don’t finish.

“We’d just like to embrace the experience, probably,” Mason says.

“I guess embrace it and enjoy the hard parts as much as the highs,” adds Breanna.  

She says her dad has been helping her work on her mental strength.

“Each part you'll find something that might, might just be a little bit more challenging, but you never stop. Like, you can walk, but you never stop.

“We're pretty lucky with Mum and Dad's genetics when it comes to our mental side, and Mason's pretty mentally tough anyway,” she says.

It’s the “toughness” part that Mason loves about the thought of the Coast to Coast.

“The length, and just, it's not a sprint. Like, it’s actually, you just have to keep going.”

On a good week, he was training up to 14 hours, he says.

The duo are both grateful for the support and guidance of their parents, and appreciate none of this would be possible without them. 

“Trips up to Christchurch, food, kayaking, the practice race and stuff like that. I mean, I'm sure they love it too.”

Kurow’s Paul Gow is taking on his 10th Coast to Coast this year. He has previously ranked in the top 10 and finished 12th in the Men’s Elite Longest Day category in 2020 and 2022.

Papakaio farmer Ed Finlay is also competing in the Longest Day, veteran (40-49) category, for the first time.