NEW INTERNATIONAL EVENT, THE SPECTACLE, HAPPENS IN NEW ZEALAND THIS WEEKEND
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission
NELSON, NEW ZEALAND (Dec. 13) — There’s a new multi-race event here this weekend called The Spectacle, which combines both trail and road races with distances ranging from just one mile to 100 miles the launch of veteran author Roger Robinson’s new book Running All the Time.
“This is the first time Nelson has hosted an event like this,” race director Julian Matthews said in a press release. Matthews, who competed for New Zealand in the 2016 Olympics, continued:
The events begin on Friday with the start of the 100-mile race. “It’s 160km of single track and forest roads, hundreds of meters of peaks, sweat, dirt, dust and probably tears, and it’s going to be an adventure like no other.” According to the event’s website, the race includes a total ascent and descent of 1,135 meters is Trafalgar Square in the West to the towering Christ Church Cathedral.
The trails also offer shorter distances of 100km, 50km, 21km and 10km at different times on Saturdays.
Later on Saturday, the competition will move to the streets of Nelson. Citizen runners can try one mile, five kilometer distances (including a walk) and a four-man relay of four x 750m for adults and four x 375m for children.
The festival culminates Saturday night with an elite, two-lap road mile featuring five Olympians, all of whom raise their flag to the ceiling of the local airport to welcome them (see photo). the elite mile uses a pursuit format with women starting around 30 seconds apart.
The elite women are led by Australia’s Georgia Griffith, a two-time Olympian with a personal best of 3:58.40 for the 1500m (4:27.81 PB per mile). Against Irish Olympian Sophie O’Sullivan (4:00.23/4:33.30). Kathryn Kemp of New Zealand (4:15.09/4:44.24) and Brigid Denhy of Ireland (4:14.03/4:47.16) Denhy lives in New Zealand and runs for North Harbor Bays Athletics.
The men’s field is led by two-time Olympian Sam Tanner, the 24-year-old former NCAA star, who ran 3:31.24 for the 1500m and 3:49.51 for the mile, followed by Scotland’s Neil Gourley, who ran 3:30.60/3. 47.74, will challenge him.Dual Olympian Stewart Max Swain (3:29.51/3:48.37) will enter the race for Australia’s hopes, while American Vince Ciatey (3:31.78/3:50.56) and Ireland’s Brian Fay (3:36.52/3:52.03) round out the field.
Unlike last Saturday’s Kalakaua Merrie Mile, where prize money is paid only based on the men’s and women’s overall order of finish based on a handicap format, athletes here will compete in the men’s and women’s divisions for both separate prize money and additional time slots. prizes for the overall, mixed-gender finish category Men’s/Women’s prize money is 6,000 Nezd (=$3,458), 4,000, 2000, 1000 and 500 nezd. The overall winner will earn 10,000 Nezdi (=5763 USD).
Race director Matthews, who organizes the event with her partner Annika Pfitzinger, is from Nelson and “knows everyone in town,” she said Wednesday night as she picked up guests in a 15-person white van at the local airport.For several days, she’s clearly jazzed about the running world’s attention centered on Nelson, population 55,600.
“It’s a race that’s designed to be both exciting and unforgettable to run,” he said.
