It's still 24 sleeps away, but entries for this year's Hutt City Crazyman are already flowing in.
Scheduled this year for Sunday 4th May, the Hutt City Crazyman has been central New Zealand's premier multisport event for almost a quarter of a century.
Established in 1991 the annual kayaking, mountain biking and trail running epic is one of New Zealand's longest running multisport events. Past winners read like a who's-who of multisport history, with world champions such as Richard Ussher, Jill Westenra, Gordon Walker, Emily Miazga, Elina Ussher, Kristina Anglem, Alex Stewart, Steve Gurney and Jess Simson having all won the annual Lower Hutt event.
On a course that is as spectacular as it is challenging, competitors from all ends of New Zealand will open up with a 13k kayak leg from Days Bay, along Wellington Harbour's eastern coastline to Petone Wharf and up the Hutt River.
Kayaks are swapped for mountain bikes for a 30k ride up the Hutt River Trail to Dry Creek where they head into Belmont Regional Park, riding over Boulder Hill to the base of Belmont Trig.
Then it's into running shoes for the final 13k trail run around Belmont Trig and down Korokoro Stream to Petone Foreshore, eventually finishing back in Lower Hutt.
The event includes the full kayak, run and mountain bike for teams and individuals, and also a run and mountain bike duathlon option for non-kayakers.
"Part of the popularity of the Crazyman," says event manager Michael Jacques, "is that while it's a good challenge, each discipline by itself is quite achievable. So the event has something for everyone from hardcore multisporters to rookies and teams."
Jacques is expecting close to 400 competitors for the 56km tour through the icon outdoor elements of Wellington's Hutt City.
Entries thus far are ahead of the same date last year, with standout entrants including three-time Coast to Coast runner-up Dougal Allan (Wanaka) and Coast to Coast fourth placegetter Emily Wilson (Queenstown). Upper Hutt's own Karapoti Classic record breaker, Kim Hurst, is also an entry in the individual duathlon event.
The 24th Hutt City Crazyman starts at 8:00am on Sunday 4th May at Days Bay beachfront in Eastbourne. Entries can be found at Avanti Plus Lower Hutt and Lifestyle Gyms in Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Wellington City. Or visit www.crazyman.co.nz for online entry and full information.
