Up to 350 runners will cross through Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks in this year's Routeburn Classic, the country's most anticipated mountain run.
Organisers of the event have been liaising closely with the Department of Conservation (DOC) in a bid to increase the number of runners – up from 225 in previous years.
Event director Evan McWhirter of Good Times Events Ltd is thrilled that the 2010 race will give more runners a chance to participate.
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| Adrian Bailey powers through snow to take second place overall. (Photo: Good Times Events) |
"For people who enjoy challenging running this is one of the greats in one of the most beautiful places in the world," he said.
"Entries to last year's race were snapped up within 30 minutes of going online and there were more than 100 people wait-listed, so it's fantastic to accommodate more runners at this year's event," he said.
2010 marks the seventh year of the exclusive race which this year will also be held two weeks earlier on Saturday 24 April.
Entries for the 2010 Routeburn Classic will open on the website www.goodtimesevents.net on Monday 25th January at 7am and with interest from all over the globe, Evan doesn't doubt that places will fill up within minutes.
The race, which follows the 32km Routeburn Track, has been brought forward to hopefully ensure better weather conditions for this year's competitors.
"we have scheduled the 2010 Classic for late April in the hope that competitors won't have to contend with snowy conditions," says McWhirter.
The Routeburn Track has been named one of the top ten walking tracks by prestigious travel publication, Blue Guide and running the track is expected to take most participants between 4.5 and 5.5 hours.
Runners will congregate at The Divide, near Milford Sound, for the 8am start gun, and finish near Glenorchy where the quickest athletes are expected to cross the finish line in just under three hours.
