Last year, Waitahuna firefighter Daniel Wark was the first member of the Waitahuna Volunteer Fire Brigade to head to Auckland to climb 1103 stairs over 51 flights.
He and Jude Patterson, of Lawrence, were the only two firefighters to go from the area.
This year they will be joined by three other members of Mr Wark's brigade and eight firefighters from the Lawrence and Clutha Valley Volunteer Fire Brigades.
Last week the Waitahuna team passed $10,000 in raising funds for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, beneficiary of the event.
Clocking a time of 13min 29sec last year, Mr Wark was 99th fastest of 700 firefighters who ran the stairs at the Sky Tower in their 25kg gear.
He hoped to get his run down closer to the 11 minute mark when he runs the stairs on May 23 this year.
''I got 10 floors up last year, double stepping to start with, and then my legs just started going,'' he said.
''I might have gone too hard, too early. There's no point in doing that.
''At 10 you've still got bloody 41 to go. No point losing it then.''
First timer Blair Halder, of Clutha Valley, lost 50mm of bone from his leg in a bad car accident three years ago and decided when he recovered, he would take the challenge. He has convinced six members of the Clutha Valley brigade to join him.
Mr Wark said every firefighter who entered would finish, even if it took an hour.
''They all make it, in some form or fashion.''
