pacertrip.

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONNZ / RACE GUIDE

New Zealand Road Relay Championships

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

NZOct 3, 202670km · 36km · 17km

PhilBeeNZ · CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date Ended: Oct 3, 2026 Sat
City · Distance: Halcombe · 70km · 36km · 17km
Entry fee: Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
Status: EndedSee how to enter ↗

2027Date TBD

2026Date Oct 3, 2026 · Ended

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 20, 2026

About the race How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

It is New Zealand's largest team event.

Run along country roads, pass the baton, cheer through the van windows, and finish together at finish.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Full recap

Athletics New Zealand · Full recap

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race website

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 70km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:00

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Halcombe, Manawatū-Whanganui

It is a relay race that goes around the paved and unpaved roads in the countryside around Halcombe. The 7-leg race is 70km, the 6-leg 36km and the 4-leg 17km. Course closes at 15:00.

The New Zealand Road Relay Championships is a team relay race held on roads near Halcombe.

Depending on the category, teams of 4 to 7 runners split the course into legs,

each ranging from 4km to 12km, with a mix of climbs, flat sections, and fast descents.

Team members travel by van between legs to the next changeover point, handing off to the next runner.

The previous year's race was a 7-leg, 68km course starting from Mainfreight in Feilding, passing the clock tower,

and finishing in Halcombe, with 6-leg and 4-leg course options also offered depending on grade.

Typical race-season temperature: around 11°C (51°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Bib pickup

The New Zealand Road Relay Championships in Halcombe; bib distribution is handled through clubs.
Check with Athletics NZ for details.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startHalcombe Recreation Ground, Halcombe, Manawatū-Whanganui region (near Feilding), Sat Oct 3, 2026. No rail…

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Halcombe Recreation Ground, Halcombe, Manawatū-Whanganui region (near Feilding), Sat Oct 3, 2026. No rail or bus service reaches this small rural village. Halcombe is a very small rural settlement; private car or team arrangement effectively required.

Getting to the finish

Same venue as start (relay finishes at the Recreation Ground).

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

This is a team relay event rather than an individual race,

so participating teams must arrange their own vehicles for moving between legs and support crew for cheering.

Given that the course runs along country roads in the Manawatū region, getting between legs by public transportation is difficult.

Times are local to Halcombe. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Wellington｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at Wellington International Airport

₩71,992

New Zealand Road Relay Championships

About New Zealand Road Relay Championships — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run