The Spectacle is cementing its place on the New Zealand running calendar, with registrations for this year’s event surging ahead of previous years.
The Nelson-based running festival, now in its third year, will take place on 4-5 December and is attracting participants from close to home, across New Zealand and around the world. Registrations for the 2026 event are currently 91% ahead of the same point last year.
Of those registered so far, 68% are from within 100km of Nelson, 26% are from outside the Nelson region and 6% are international entrants.
International registrations are up 177% compared with last year, with most overseas runners coming from Australia. Entrants have also signed up from the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Canada, Fiji, Korea, Austria and France.
The Spectacle co-founder Anni Pfitzinger says the growth reflects the event's increasing profile among runners.
“We’re incredibly pleased to see so many people making The Spectacle part of their running plans this year, whether they’re based nearby, elsewhere in New Zealand or overseas. The significant lift in international participation is particularly exciting. It is so cool to see The Spectacle reaching runners well beyond Nelson and Aotearoa as well.”
Anni says the road mile event has been a standout in the programme, driven largely by strong interest from younger runners.
Registrations for the mile are 178% up on last year, with most of that growth coming from Under-10 and Under-18 participants.
“It’s so wonderful to see the mile attracting so many tamariki and rangatahi,” she says. “We really wanted The Spectacle to make running fun for everyone, from those taking their first steps into organised events to experienced athletes taking on the longer road and trail races.”
The team is on the hunt for volunteers to continue supporting the event. Volunteer roles include road and trail marshalling, aid stations and helping at the start and finish area.
Anyone interested in helping out can email volunteers@thespectacle.co.nz
