News & Updates

The Crater Rim Trail Run, which incorporates the New Zealand Trail Running Championship, is fast becoming a must-do event on the running calendar and this year’s edition is already set to go down in the history books after attracting a record number of entries.

A total of 200 participants will take part in the 2020 Crater Rim Ultra 53km event in Christchurch on Sunday 18 October, in which this year’s trail running national champions will be found.

Entries for the 53km Ultra and 30km Bellbird Buster have now closed but runners of all abilities still have a chance to be involved as there are several other courses on offer – the Kiwi Challenge 22km, Rapaki Rumble 10km and, for the trail runners of the future, junior options in the Hansen Park Dash.

Hosted by local Christchurch club Port Hills Athletic, the event includes the New Zealand Trail Running Championship for the third year in a row and Peter King from the organising team is delighted to again be welcoming some of the country’s finest athletes to the region.

“With so many races cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and subsequent alert level restrictions, we are excited to again be running the national championships as part of our Crater Rim event,” he says.

“With the 53km Crater Rim Ultra and the accompanying races being among the first trail race events after returning to Alert Level 1, this will be a special chance for the trail running fraternity to get back into action.”

The 53km Crater Rim Ultra includes a bus and boat ride to arrive at Diamond Harbour to start the race, which sees runners climb over 2,800 vertical metres as they follow along the top of extinct volcanoes, taking in the stunning sights of the Canterbury Plains and Lyttelton Harbour.

“This is a challenging course using a number of private properties that even the locals don’t know,” King explains.

“It also has some of the best views of any trail run in the country – over city, beaches, ocean, plains and mountains. And it’s right in Christchurch so there are plenty of places to celebrate after completing the challenge. What’s not to like?”

From a low-key beginning in 2001, when just 31 runners finished the course, the event has now increased to include hundreds of competitors, including many top local and international athletes. It attracts plenty of interest from outside Christchurch and is a popular build-up to the Kepler Challenge in early December.

“With the effects of Covid-19 locking down our borders, we have assembled a great field of elite runners, all challenging to be the 2020 New Zealand trail running champions. We have the 2019, 2018 and 2017 men’s winners on the start line again and the talented Mel Aitken is returning to defend her women’s title of 2019. With such a top-class field, the racing is going to be epic and just as close as last year when first and second were only separated by 33 seconds at the end of five hours’ running.”

The event appeals to both elite runners and novices with many entrants being introduced to trail running in a competitive environment for the first time.

There is also a strong social aspect to the day with a picnic-style atmosphere being created post-race as competitors sit around enjoying refreshments and recounting their experiences of the course while giving support to other competitors as they come across the finish line.

For more information on the Crater Rim Trail Run, featuring the New Zealand Trail Running Championships, and to sign up for one of the events please visit www.craterrimtrailrun.com