Competition is heating up among key title contenders in the 32.6km Routeburn Classic adventure run to be held on Saturday May 9 in one of New Zealand's World Heritage areas.
Two hundred and twenty-five runners will race from one end to the other of the Routeburn Track, a high alpine track traversing Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park.
Multisport legend Richard Ussher is going for his 5th Routeburn Classic overall title after last year netting first place in 2hr:55min:30sec.
Hot on his heels -- if not praying to leave him for dust -- will be last year's second place-getter Jacob Roberts, an experienced multisporter from Christchurch who was just 3mins 15sec slower than Ussher in 2008, and Queenstown multisporter Jim Hawkridge, who won the event in 2007 when Ussher did not compete.
Event director Evan McWhirter, of Good Times Events is picking Paul Garvie, manager of Queenstown's Front Runner retail store, as a potential ‘dark horse' for this year's race, along with local runners Willy Roberts and Adrian Bailey.
"Whoever gets over the line first, it's sure to be a tight thing between this group of runners," he said.
In the womens' division, Richard's wife Elina Ussher will line up to compete for the second time, hoping to match or improve on her record as the fastest woman to compete in the event.
Other names to watch, said McWhirter, would be Queenstowner Jordan Davignon, sponsored by Outside Sports, last year's second place-getter Kristina Crane and Karen Muller, a running coach based in Christchurch who has been running competitively for 14 years in the UK and New Zealand.
McWhirter said track conditions on the day of the race could impact on runners and results.
"I went over the track last weekend before the heavy rain we've had and it was in mint condition, but it's fair to say that's probably changed," he said.
"In the past we've had snow and ice on the track which challenges even the strongest competitors, so they're probably all got their fingers crossed for a fine, clear and dry day."
Now in its sixth year, runners will converge at The Divide, near Milford Sound, for the 8am start gun, and finish near Glenorchy.
The Routeburn Classic is sponsored by sports apparel company 2XU, Outside Sports, Em's Power Cookies, Heritage Queenstown, Luxmore Hotel, Skyline Gondola, Restaurant and Luge, Rockgas, Speight's, Body Sanctum and Ultimate Hikes.
A prizegiving dinner at Skyline includes a three-course dinner, live music and numerous spot prizes before the official prizegiving ceremony.
A reserve wet weather day has been set for Sunday 10 May 2009.
