A reminder that Standard entries will close just before midnight Friday 3rd October. Late entries will close Sunday 12th October.  

The middle and long are respectively on Knottingley and Koitiata, but different parts to those used at Oceania. So complex sand-dunes for both. Koitiata (aka Turakina Beach) in particular is an area that was essentially not touched at Oceania and will not be familiar to anyone. It has a mix of runnability from fast running to relatively recently thinned areas which add to the physicality.

The area for the sprint was originally to be used for the ONZ Champs in 2020, but when they were delayed by Covid it wasn’t available on the rearranged date. Parts of it were used for a NSL race in 2022, but there have been a lot of changes since then. It has two schools, playing fields and the tracks and water features of the adjacent Pit Park.

The night sprint on the Palmerston North  Esplanade will be a challenge for all – formal gardens, bush tracks, playgrounds, and the added feature of the Esplanade railway, which as trains will not be running gives additional route choice options.