The annual Coast to Coast multisport race has avoided becoming another casualty of the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
On Thursday, organisers announced they will forge ahead with the 40th anniversary of the iconic event, albeit in a significantly scaled back capacity.
After being forced to cancel the two-day event categories earlier in the week due to the 'red light' national alert setting, race director Glen Currie has revealed the 'Longest Day' category and the mountain run will go ahead on February 12.
"There was simply no way we could provide a safe event for the two-day athletes, support crew and spectators," Currie says.
"But, once more guidelines and information came to light earlier this week, we became confident that we could do so at a much smaller scale.
"Government feedback has been that they do not want events to cease altogether, rather they're asking events like ours to restructure to minimise contact of people as much as possible and reduce the potential of a mass spread as a result of the event."
A total of 284 competitors - drastically reduced from the initial 1400 competitors - will now line up for the 'Longest Day' and 'One Day' Teams categories. Starting in pods of less than 100, they will run, bike and kayak from Kumara Beach on the West Coast to Christchurch’s New Brighton Beach.
Meanwhile, 90 athletes in the mountain run - who start from a completely different section of the course - will also get their opportunity to compete.
"The 'Longest Day' is often described as the loneliest day by competitors,” said Currie.
"You've got 243 kilometers of course in a pretty remote setting to stretch out on, which, fortunately for us, enables us to isolate competitors and support crews to a large extent."
Athletes’ support crews have been limited to just two people, while friends and family will be restricted from entering any of the athlete transition areas.
Food and beverage offerings would also be cut, impacting a number of community groups that often rely on the revenue as part of their annual fundraising.
But Currie and his team refuse to budge when it comes to safety measures, continuing to provide helicopter support for the mountain run and patrolling the Waimakariri River via jet boat.
"This is one area that can't be compromised," he says. "But reducing the numbers of competitors on course should already see a reduction in the time that their services are needed across the day."
The first wave of competitors will start from Kumara Beach at 7am, February 12 and are expected to begin arriving into the finish area at New Brighton beach any time after 4:30pm.
