Key Dates:

• June 30th: Early entry fee pricing ends

• September 30th: Regular entry fee pricing ends

• November 11th: Entries for nationwide Matthews Eyecare collections close

• December 12th: Late/online entries close

Spaces are limited though so best to get your entry in now to secure your spot early!

Road Races:

Everyone! Fast or not so fast, walker or runner, 5 year olds - 105 year olds, everyone is welcome. Those under 5 can race for free in the kids mile when accompanied by an adult registered in another race.

Trail/Ultra Races:

Pretty much everyone! For your safety, we have minimum age requirements and guidelines in terms of pace/experience:

We do not have any mandatory qualification standards. However The Spectacle 100km race is extremely long and challenging and enters mountainous environments.  

To enter you must have adequate fitness, mountain running or hiking experience to complete the course in the available time.  This can be completion of previous mountain running or experience in tramping, adventure racing, or sub 5 hour marathons with a combination of trail running experience.

If you are unsure if you are able to make the cutoffs please feel free to reach out for a chat with our team at info@thespectacle.co.nz.

The 10km and 21.1km are open to those under 18, any distance greater than that are only open to those over 18 years of age.

CUT OFF TIMES

10km: 3 hrs

21.1km: 12 hrs

50km: 26 hrs

100km: 32 hrs

100 mile: 43 hrs

The cut off times for the 21.1km, 50km and 10km have purposely been set to allow our less experienced runners as well as walkers tackle these challenging distances. If you are unsure if you are able to make the cutoffs please feel free to reach out for a chat with our team at info@thespectacle.co.nz.

Yes! Pacers are allowed for the 100km and 100 mile races.

Competitors can use up to two Pacers, however only one pacer is allowed on the course at a time (pacers must swap at aid stations).

Pacers must register pre-race and must wear a compulsory race bib number. Competitors will be notified when the portal for pacer entries is opened.

Aid stations are located roughly every 10km along the course. A full map detailing aid stations and crew aid station access will be posted to our website by the end of July. There are no aid stations for the 10km.

Yes! Our mandatory gear lists contain the minimum gear recommended to keep our 50km, 100km and 100 mile athletes safe during The Spectacle. Mandatory gear will be checked before your race wrist band is issued to you. The mandatory gear lists can be found here.

We’ve provided some rough guidelines to help you figure out which heat of the 5km you’ll be in.

Heat B: Those who think they’ll complete the race in 30 minutes or more

Heat A: Those who think they’ll complete the race in 30 minutes or less

Don’t worry, you won’t be kicked off the course or anything, this just helps us put you in a race with people around the same speed so that there isn’t too much confusion around who is on which lap and to keep it safer when athlete are lapping eachother.

The mile races will be split up into primary, intermediate and high school races, an open race, and an AWD race.

Those who enter before November 11th can collect their race pack from selected Matthews Eyecare stores throughout NZ between 2-6 December. Simply select which store you’d like to collect your race pack from when entering.

Those entering after November 11th can pick up their race pack from Matthews Eyecare Nelson during the designated time slot on Thursday 12 December, Friday 13 December and Saturday 14 December.

Yes! In your race pack you’ll find a bag tie with your race number on it. The bag tie can be attached to your bag and dropped off at the bag drop (by the stage at the start/finish line) up to 10 minutes before the start. You’ll need to be wearing your race number to pick up your bag after the race. Thee is a separate bag drop for aid stations for trail runners.

Of course! Parents/caregivers are encouraged to run with their kids, especially if they are younger.

For the road races there will be free parking at Buxton Square Carpark, Montgomery Square, and Wakatu Carpark. There will also be parking available on the side streets around Nelson. Please note that most of Hardy Street and Selwyn Place will be closed so allow extra time to get to the race.

For the trail races there is limit d parking at Waahi Taakaro Golf Course and Sharlands Trail Head. We recommend you are dropped off, carpool, or take the race bus. More details to come.

The entire road race course will be completely closed to public vehicles. This includes a large part of Hardy Street, Selwyn Place, Church Street and Hope Street.

All over the course!

Here are some of our favourite cheer zones:

Road Race:

• Cathedral steps - you can look down right onto the finish line!

• At a restaurant/bar on Hardy Street - Hardy Street boasts some of the best restaurants in Nelson. Book a table outside, grab some friends and park on up and watch The Spectacle.

• From Trafalgar Square - browse the race stalls and watch the races at the same time! If you’re fast you can watch the athletes race past on the Selwyn Place side of the square and then dash over to the Hardy Street side of the square and catch even more of the action!

Trail Races:

• More info to come.

School relay teams will be organised by each individual school. We will send a link out via email to enter teams. Please get in touch with your sports co-ordinator for more info.

Yes! But some events have time clashes so please check the schedule. When entering, the entry system will help you determine whether you can enter your selected events or whether there is a time clash.

You can find our cancellation/refund policy here.