ROAD : TRAIL : ULTRA : RELAYS : ELITE

13 - 15 December 2024 | WhakatU NElson

The Spectacle NZ logo

The Spectacle has been created by runners,
for all runners.

From the mile to the 100 mile,
the trails to the road,
weekenders to Olympians.

Take on the challenge,
then take in The Spectacle.

THe Events.

photo of running a road race marathon

Road

  • Race through the heart of Whakatu - Nelson on this flat and fast course lined with spectators!

    Race options:

    • Open Mile

    • Junior Mile

    • AWD Mile (athletes with a disability)

    • High School Mile

    THE ROAD MILE INFO

  • Are you ready to take on the challenge of the 5km? Race 6.5 exhilarating laps through the heart of the city on your way to clocking your fastest ever 5km.

    Race options:

    • 5km A Race

    • 5km B Race

    • 5km Walk

    THE 5KM INFO

  • Few things beat the excitement of racing a relay!

    Grab your friends, team mates or colleagues and get ready to sprint through the streets of Whakatū.

    Race options:

    • Corporate Challenge Relay (4 x 1 lap (750m))

    • Open Relay (4 x 1 lap (750m))

    • School Relay (4 x 1/2 lap (375m))

    THE RELAY INFO

photos of athletes running a trail in New Zealand

Trail

  • The 10km - the perfect balance between challenge and attainability!

    Whether you’re just getting into trail running or you’re a seasoned runner wanting a high energy day out on the trails, the 10km is the perfect option.

    LEARN MORE

  • Swap those long straight roads for winding single tracks and embrace the exhilarating unpredictability of the trails!

    MORE INFO

  • Conquer this race, and you'll officially be an ultra runner! And what a place to do it - on the trails of Whakatu, amongst lush native forest, on winding single track, taking in the most stunning views over Tasman.

    MORE INFO

  • Think you can run from Nelson to Takaka?

    Tauranga to Hamilton?

    Dunedin to Oamaru?

    Auckland to Hamilton?

    Then the 100km is for you! Except this 100km comes with thousands of meters of vert, on single-track through beautiful native forest (which is much nicer than running from Auckland to Hamilton).

    MORE INFO

  • Warning: this race is not for the faint-hearted! 

    This is 160km of single track and forestry roads, thousands of metres of vert, sweat, dirt, dust and probably some tears, and will be an adventure like no other. 

    MORE INFO

Elite

  • We’re assembling the best international elite road mile field that Aotearoa has ever seen!

    Think Olympians, World Championship representatives, and American, Australian and NZ Champions, all racing right in the heart of Nelson.

    Athletes to be announced soon!

Why Race the Spectacle?

photo of trail running in New Zealand

Something for everyone

Whether you’re after an electrifying road race right through the centre of the city, or you want to take to the trails and test your endurance amongst the tranquil native forest, The Spectacle has an option for everyone.

Witness the
world’s best Milers

photo of a stunning beach in Whakatu - Nelson

We’ve gathered some of the best milers in the world to put on a Spectacle just for you!

Cheer on these exceptional athletes in this rare chance to see world-class talent in action right here in our city.

Experience the
Top of the south

Come for The Spectacle, stay for the beauty of Whakatu - Nelson.

Whakatu truly has something for everyone - breathtaking beaches, extensive mountain biking trails, great cuisine, and world-class art galleries.

The
Schedule.

FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER

  • Start: Waahi Taakaro Golf Course

    Finish: Trafalgar Square

    Cut Off Time: 43hrs

  • Start: Waahi Taakaro Golf Course

    Finish: Waahi Taakaro Golf Course

    Cut Off Time: 2.5hrs

Saturday 14 DECEMBER

  • Start: Waahi Taakaro Golf Course

    Finish: Trafalgar Square

    Cut Off Time: 32hrs

  • Start: Waahi Taakaro Golf Course

    Finish: Trafalgar Square

    Cut Off Time (50km): 29hrs

  • Start: Waahi Taakaro Golf Course

    Finish: Trafalgar Square

    Cut Off Time: 12hrs

  • Start: Hardy Street

    Finish: Selwyn Place - In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

    Age groups - 5 y/o - high school

  • (Athletes with a disability)

    Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Corporate Challenge Relay, Sports Team Relay, University Relay, Open Relay

    Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Location: Trafalgar Square

  • Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Start: Selwyn Place

    Finish: In front of Christ Church Cathedral Steps

  • Trafalgar Square

  • We’re stoked to bring The Black Seeds to Nelson for the first time in 5 years!!! The Spectacle is all about bringing the good vibes and no one brings the vibes like The Black Seeds.

    The Black Seeds will play on our stage at the base of the iconic Cathedral Steps directly after our last road race

FOLLOW US.

Don’t love running? 🏃 Walk! 🚶 Don’t love walking? Volunteer! 📣 It’s volunteers who make something like The Spectacle really come to life and with an event as big as this we’re going to need a small army of you! Here ar
This time next month it’s go time baby!! 🤙 Hands up if you’re excited 🙋🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ See you in a month!!
Yes! There will be shuttles leaving from The Rutherford Hotel in the Nelson CBD and taking athletes to the start line at the Waahi Taakaro Golf Course. We’ll be adding an option to book your spot on a shuttle within the next week. We’
Well sunny Nelson sure is living up to it’s name at the moment! ☀️ If you’re looking to hit the trails in style and protect your eyes with best eyewear in town, swing by Matthews Sports Vision and browse their range of performance eyewea
Puma is bringing that big cat energy to Nelson! We’re thrilled to be partnering with Puma for the inaugural year of The Spectacle! Puma’s reputation for blending cutting-edge style with high-performance is unmatched, helping you look gre
What’s on the training schedule this long weekend? Anyone toeing a start line? Got an adventure planned maybe? A few of us are doing the Trailfit Dew Lakes Charity Run to help raise money for the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter. If you&rs
Our Instagram handle might be @ RunTheSpectacle, but you can WalkTheSpectacle too! Pretty much all of our events are walker friendly. We’ve tried to provide as much time as possible to finish your event to ensure that those who would prefer t
📢 50KM UPDATE We’ve decided to make a small change to the start of the 50km course and the start time to make sure you have an even more enjoyable start to your time out on the trails! 🌿 Instead of starting with a climb up Fringed Hill, 50k
Two month countdown check in time! How are we feeling now that December is right around the corner? We got a lot of 🤙🤙 last time, are we feeling excited and ready to roll?? 🤙 Can’t wait! 😅 That’s sneaking up fast 👟 Might be time to

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