Events

The North Island Cross Country Championships on 4 July 2026 at Spa Thermal Park in Taupō is organised by the Taupō Harriers Club.

Distances vary from 1000m to 9000m depending on age group.

This annual event is run under Athletics NZ rules as open races and membership of a running club is not essential (any runner can enter and win place medals).

The 2026 NZ Cross Country & Relay Championships will descend on Christchurch’s North Hagley Park. We’re bringing the racing to the fans with the course returning for its second year, incorporating sections of the Hagley Golf Course, designed so you can catch every step of the head-to-head racing right in the heart of the Garden City.

Entries coming soon…

The 2026 New Zealand 10KM Road & Walks Championships come to New Plymouth.

Championship races are open to registered members of Athletics NZ-affiliated clubs across all age grades, from Under 14 through to Masters 35+.

Location to be confirmed, New Plymouth.

Entries coming soon…

The 2026 NZ Road Relay Championships is the biggest team race on the calendar. This relay race will see you and your crew running through the country roads, handing off relay batons, cheering out of van windows, and celebrating together at the end of the journey.

A road relay is a team race where 4–7 people each run one leg of the course. Distances range from 4km to 12km, with a mix of climbs, flats, and fast descents. Between legs, teams leapfrog in vans, tag in at changeovers, and cheer each other along the way. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s unlike anything else in running.

Entries coming soon….

The 50km title will be contested as part of the Legend of the Peaks in Rotorua. Legend of the Peaks is an epic combination of amazing trails, with a festival vibe that includes expo, music, food and good times.

More information, including entries, will be available soon.

The 2026 New Zealand Marathon Championships will be held in conjunction with the Whanganui 3 Bridges Marathon.

The 2026 New Zealand 5km Road & Walk Championships head to Nelson as part of The Spectacle.

Athletes will race fast, exhilarating laps through the heart of central Nelson, surrounded by crowds of cheering spectators.

Championship events are open to registered members of Athletics New Zealand–affiliated clubs across all age grades, from Under 14 through to Masters 35+.