The Race 2023
Race Options
The Coast to Coast has become almost
a
rite of passage for multisport athletes from around the world with over 20,000
people having completed the event in the 40 years to date.
Held every February, the race starts on the West Coast, at Kumara Beach and traverses the width of the South Island, crossing the main divide and finishing on the East Coast with the finish at the Pier on New Brighton Beach in Christchurch.
The race is one of the world's longest running multi-sports events and is older even than the Hawaiian Ironman. From similar roots, Robin Judkins founded the event in 1983 when just 25 hardy souls took on the 243km challenge over two days.
Over the years that grew to a peak of close to 1000 competitors and the event has grown with different sections to suit all those from the professional athletes to the weekend warriors.
The One Day race was introduced in 1989 and has the title of the World Multisport Championship with the top athletes covering the entire course in close to 11 hours. The other end of the field sees some competitors in the Two Day race taking closer to 24 hours.
Competitors leave on foot from the black sands and lush windswept landscapes on the West Coast, running 2.2km inland to their waiting bikes. They then follow the Taramakau River to the foothills of the Southern Alps where they switch their bikes for runners and the first true test of the course.
The 30.5km run is mainly off trail with the rocky riverbed often the only direct line up the valley. Competitors encounter multiple river crossings with frigid crystal clear water and an elevation gain of nearly 800m on their way to Goat Pass and the start of the descent.
With the very fastest athletes taking nearly 3 hours the run is as much a test of co-ordination and strength as it is outright speed.
A short 15km ride follows before the second jewel in the course. The mighty Waimakariri River. 70kms of braids and a stunning gorge, the river section is for many both the highlight and the crux of the race. The water flows swiftly in places and mixes long calm sections with rapids up to grade 2 in size.
It takes competitors from the heart of the Southern Alps out on to the Canterbury Plains where just one final 70km ride stands between competitors and the finish on the East Coast at the New Brighton Pier amongst a vibrant beachside festival.
While the One Day athletes complete the distance in a day, the majority of competitors take two days to cover the same course, with an overnight camp at the end of the Mountain run stage.
2023 Entry Process
Transferred entries
All transferred athletes will be contacted via email and supplied a code to enter for the 2023. Athletes will be given 2 weeks to enter and secure their place into the 2023 event. Please contact us if you have not been supplied a code to enter by 11 April.
General entries
General entries will be via a ballot. The ballot will open on Monday 4th April, 12pm (midday) and will be open for 1 week, closing on Monday 11th April, 12pm (midday). The ballot will be via a Google Form here.
Ballot spaces will be allocated at the sole discretion of the organiser. It is not a first come, first serve basis. Please note there are a high number of transfers from either international or 2 Day athletes from 2022, therefore there are very limited spaces available into the 2023 event.
Successful ballot applications will be advised via email from late April and will be provided instructions on how to enter, they will have 5 days to enter and pay or the spot will be reallocated.
Remaining athletes on the ballot who are not offered an entry in the first round will be placed on a wait list, the wait list order will be randomly generated and published online.
| Event Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Longest Day | $1,300 |
All prices are in $NZD and include GST. 2% fee applies to all credit card payments.
The Longest Day is the World Multisport Championship event.
There are Age Group and Elite categories for the Longest Day. If you want to be eligible for the prize money you MUST enter the Elite category.
The minimum age for Longest Day competitors is 18 years of age on race day.
The Longest Day is only open to individuals and as the name suggests sees competitors complete the full 243km course in one day.
There are relatively tight cut-offs and it is recommended competitors tackle the two day event prior to the Longest Day unless they have considerable endurance racing experience.
| Event Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| One Day 3 Person Team | $2,000 (per team) |
All prices are in $NZD and include GST. 2% fee applies to all credit card payments.
Since 1987 the One Day event has only been an option for individual athletes, now there is an option to enter as a 3 person Mixed team but spaces are limited.
One team member will tackle the Cycle stages (plus the first run off the start line at Kumara), another the Mountain Run and the third taking on the 70km kayak down the Waimak.
The minimum age for One Day team competitors is 18 years of age on race day.
The team event will start 30 minutes after the individuals and the same cut offs
that apply for the One Day individual event will be enforced for One Day teams.
| Event Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Two Day Individual | $1,300 |
| Two Day Individual School | $695 |
| Two Day 2 Person Relay Team | $1,895 (per team) |
| Two Day 3 Person Relay Team | $2,000 (per team) |
| Two Day 3 Person Relay Team School | $760 (per team) |
All prices are in $NZD and include GST. 2% fee applies to all credit card payments.
The Two Day event covers the same course as the One Day event but starts a day earlier (Friday) and competitors camp overnight at Klondyke Corner, after the Mountain Run stage before tackling the river and final ride on the Saturday.
The Two Day event is the event most people undertake as their Coast to Coast experience.
There is an amazing atmosphere at the overnight camp and the Two Day event is suitable for anyone with a good level of fitness and an adventurous streak.
The 2 Person team event includes a Corporate Challenge, with at least two members of the team must be full time employees of the company and you can have one ring in. The winning corporate team will be in line to win the coveted Corporate Team Challenge trophy that will look great at reception and of course bragging rights for twelve months!
See the Two Day handbooks which are specific to each event for more details.
The Schools
section is available to students enrolled at High School on race day. The Schools section is sanctioned by the NZSSSC.
The minimum age for Two Day individual competitors is 16, 2 Person team competitors is 15 & 3 Person team competitors is 14 years of age on race day.
The minimum age for Two Day Individual School
competitors is 16 & Two Day 3 Person is 14 years of age on race day.
| Event Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Two Day Tandem Team | $3,050 (per team) |
| Two Day Tandem Team School | $1,800 (per team) |
All prices are in $NZD and include GST. 2% fee applies to all credit card payments.
The Two Day Tandem event is an event where teams of two complete the entire course over two days together. You must run and bike within 50m of each other at all times and teams paddle a supplied double kayak (Barracuda AR DUO) which is included in the entry fee. See the Two day Tandem handbook
for all the details.
A $150 damage deposit is required if organisers are supplying a kayak. Damage deposits, less any costs of repair, will be refunded within 10 days of the completion of the event. Refund will be processed back to the credit card used for payment, or to NZ based bank account which was used to make the payment.
If you have your own tandem kayak that you would like to use, please contact us. If you don't have a Barracuda AR Duo you will be in an 'unranked' category.
The minimum age for Tandem competitors is 15 years of age on race day.
| Event Category | Entry Fee |
|---|---|
| Mountain Run | $415 |
All prices are in $NZD and include GST. 2% fee applies to all credit card payments.
The 2023 Ballot will open on Thursday 1st September, 12pm (midday) and will be open for 2 weeks, closing on Thursday 15th September, 12pm (midday). Click here
to submit a Ballot application.
You can tackle just the famous Mountain run stage on the Friday when the two day competitors are on the Mountain stage of the course. There is transport available from the finish at Klondyke Corner to the start at Aickens in the morning (must be pre-booked) and all the details are available in the Mountain Run Handbook.
The minimum age for Mountain Run competitors is 14 years of age on race day.
