News & Updates

After lengthy consideration, Athletics New Zealand and the Local Organising Committee, Waikato Bay of Plenty Athletics, have concluded that it is not feasible for the New Zealand Road Championships to be delivered with participants from regions at both an Alert Level 1 and Level 2.

The event to be staged at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Sunday November 7 can only proceed with participants from regions at an Alert Level 1 on race day. 

Should a scenario arise where not all regions of New Zealand are able to participate (for example, if the Auckland region was at a level 2 and the rest of New Zealand at a level 1) then the status of the event would be amended to the New Zealand Road Race Challenge.   

A final decision on the event will be made on November 1, or earlier if government Alert Levels are made in advance. 

While disappointed the event title may change because of Covid restrictions Athletics New Zealand CEO Pete Pfitzinger said: “With Auckland currently at Alert Level 3 we wanted to offer as much clarity as possible around the status of the event. We do, however, want to ensure that athletes from those regions at Level 1 are still able to safely compete and I look forward to a high standard of road racing.” 

The 2021 New Zealand Road Championships were originally scheduled to take place on Sunday September 5 but were postponed due to the Covid-19 restrictions in place across the country at the time. 

The inaugural New Zealand Road Championships took place in 1963.