The Spectacle
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The Spectacle NZ : Nelson
The Spectacle is a multi-discipline running festival held in Whakatū - Nelson that combines road races, trail races and relays across a wide range of distances and formats. Events take place in the city centre and on nearby trails, including single-track and forestry roads through native forest with notable elevation on some trail courses.
Race formats include both road and trail events, with separate categories for juniors, open competitors, athletes with a disability, corporate teams and elite competitors. The event programme includes road races routed through the heart of Nelson, trail races that vary from 10 km up to 160 km, and several relay formats that mix road and trail.
Distances and event types include:
- Mile (road) with open, junior, high school and AWD options
- 5 km road race with A, B and walk options
- Relays in multiple team formats on short laps
- 10 km trail and a 4 × 2.5 km road/trail relay
- 22 km, 50 km, 100 km trail races
- 100 mile trail race over single track and unformed routes
- Elite Mile featuring international elite competitors
The festival features a registration and expo area, race briefings, prizegivings, community events and a free concert as part of the schedule. Cutoffs and course descriptions vary by event; separate briefings and race-day information are provided for each race. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
