Even more athletes are eyeing the second edition of The Spectacle, the Nelson road and trail running festival, on Friday and Saturday.
“We had 1500 entries last year and we already have 2,000 confirmed this time. Nelson is notorious for people leaving it to register on the day so we are expecting the numbers to swell further,” says race director Julian Matthews.
The elite mile is again the showpiece, and while injury has ruled out the inaugural winner, Scotland’s Neil Gourley, an American-based Kenyan Festus Lagat is a big drawcard.
“Festus is always in shape,” declares Julian. The 29-year-old is based in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he trains at high altitude with another of the elite mile runners Jack Anstey of Australia.
Australian Road Mile champion Jude Thomas is an up-and-comer to look out for, too.
Current 1500m national titleholder Sam Tanner will again be the leading local hope, looking to improve on his close-up second in the Spectacle last year.
Sam will be bringing his family down from the Bay of Plenty - his wife Melissa and their newborn son Malikai.
Georgia Griffith, who made the most of her 30 second start to almost upstage the men, is back with her Melbourne training partners Sarah Billings and Sophie O’Sullivan.
Top New Zealand middle distance runner Georgie Grgec, who has moved to Victoria to link up with that trio, will also be on the start line. The first race, the B grade 100 mile trail gutbuster, is away at 4am on Friday. There will also be 100km races and 10k events on Friday. 50km and 22km runners will take to the trails on Saturday morning and the road races will begin at 4pm.
The New Zealand Championship miles for men, women and masters will lead into the Elite Mile at 8pm, which starts and finishes at the top of Trafalgar Street.
Julian, a Rio 2016 Olympian, would love to be out there running as well but is scheduled for hip surgery in the new year.
It is not just the athletes returning, Wellington reggae band the Black Seeds will take centre stage from 9.30pm on Saturday for a 90 minute set.
Local groups the Shedheads and Salisbury Road will also be performing.
It's not too late to enter one of the races. Visit The Spectacle website here for details.
