Mixed relays set to feature at 2022 New Zealand Cross Country Championships
In a welcome new addition, the inaugural mixed gender relays will be trialled as part of the 2022 New Zealand Cross Country Championships at Spa Thermal Park in Taupo on the weekend of Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 July.
Relays were first introduced into the programme at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships in 2016, meanwhile on the global stage the first mixed gender relays took place as part of the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala in 2017.
In Taupo the relays will feature on the Sunday morning (31 July) – the day after the individual and team titles are contested – guaranteed to provide a thrilling climax to the marquee winter championship event in New Zealand.
Staged on the same 1km loop as the relay runners contested at Spa Thermal Park at the 2018 New Zealand Secondary Schools, the event will be run in a mixed gender (male and female) format with four per team. The event will be offered to U16, U18, U20, senior and masters (35-49, 50-64 and 65+) age grades.
The event will be contested as a trial event with the more exact details to be determined in due course.
Athletics NZ Competitions Manager, Jason Cameron said “We are super excited to be working with the Taupo local organising committee to add this awesome racing option for our cross country community. There will be some fantastic team prizes and inaugural event medals presented. It’s a attractive opportunity to make a real weekend of it in the stunning Central Plateau. With a positive response from the membership, we will be looking to lock in the relays to our annual winter calendar.”
Online entries for individuals and cross country relay teams will open on Friday 27 May from 10am.