News & Updates

We would like to announce that the Takahe to Akaroa will host the New Zealand Road Relay Championships on October 1, 2022.

This will provide clarity to clubs, team managers, officials, volunteers, participants and supporters around the location of next year’s event.

We still hope the 2021 New Zealand Road Relay Championships will be staged at Takahe to Akaroa on October 2, however, earlier this week Athletics NZ, in consultation with the Local Organising Committee – Athletics Canterbury, made the decision that this year’s event will only take place if Canterbury is at Alert Level 1.

Teams from outside Canterbury will only be allowed to compete in the Road Relay if their region is also at Alert Level 1.

However, Canterbury still hopes to stage this year’s event for its local entrants on October 2 if the region is at an Alert Level 2 and the restrictions allow for gatherings of up to 100 people.

Last year the NZ Road Relay Championships in Feilding took place with New Zealand at Alert Level 1 but Auckland at Alert Level 2, but the following differences this year make it not possible to safely deliver the event unless all participants are from regions in Alert Level 1: 

• Larger number of teams (approximately 150 versus 110 last year)
• All runners race on the same course, whereas in Feilding two courses were used
• The Covid-19 Delta variant is more contagious and Alert Level 2 restrictions may be tighter than they were in 2020

We fully acknowledge that the current Covid outbreak has created great uncertainty among the event organisers of a number of our national championships.

Athletics NZ and Athletics Canterbury are committed to providing timely and definitive event planning information as soon as is practicable to assist clubs with making plans to attend the event.

The well-being of all officials, volunteers, participants, team management and supporters is paramount with the ongoing and additional challenges presented by COVID-19.

The annual Takahe to Akaroa Relay first took place in 1935 and the event has staged the New Zealand Road Relay Championships on 13 previous occasions.