What’s on

Details for 2024: This year we have significant changes to the event format

Sign up form for Olympic Harriers members, relay race ONLY - please sign up by midday Sunday 5 May

The Victoria University Athletic Club invites us to the Victoria University Relay events being held at QE Park on Saturday 11 May. Registered athletes and social members of clubs are eligible to compete in the following events: 

1. The Whittaker’s Chocolate Walk – open to walkers of all ages. Distance of approximately 6 km. Walkers must estimate their time with the winners being the walkers who are closest to their estimated time. Prizes for first female and first male.  

2. Scratch Race for Boys & Girls U10 – a scratch race (i.e. mass start) over 1.2 km for athletes under 10 years of age. Registration on the day. Please find the registration table when you arrive at the event and sign up before the start of the race.

3. The Boys, Girls & Mixed Relays – 3 runners per team over a 1.5--2 km (approx.) lap. Each team is to have at least 1 male and 1 female. Male/female athletes can run in any order.

To allow all children to participate, children who are unable to find a team to compete in can race as an individual on lap 1 - registration on the day at the registration table. Athletes must be under 14 years of age as at 31 December 2024.

4. A fun run for Boys & Girls U7 - an out & back fun run from the start/finish line over approx. 300 metres.

5. The Junior, Open, 170 & 240 Championship Relays: teams of 4 athletes from the same club comprising 2 males and 2 females running over a 3.5 km (approx.) lap.

Running order must be Male, Female, Male, Female.

All grades start together with athletes to wear a coloured wristband (provided on the day) on their right wrist to identify their grade.

Junior Mixed Relay Championship: athletes under 20 years at 31 December 2024. Red wristbands.

Open Mixed Relay Championship: athletes can be of any age. Yellow wristbands.

170 & 240 Mixed Relay Championships: athletes have a combined age on the day of at least 170 & 240 years respectively. Age is taken in years on the day (e.g. 58 yrs 11 months = 58). There is no minimum or maximum age for any member of a team.
170 = Green wristbands
240 = Blue wristbands

6. The Victoria University Relay - this is a non-championship relay with essentially “no-rules”. Teams of 4 athletes which can be of any age & gender, an athlete might run twice (or more) in the same team without penalty, a team might consist of members of different clubs. No wristbands.

Race times and event details

12:00 PM Chocolate Walk: 6 km walk on the road; 11.30 registration, 12 noon start

1:00 PM B&G U10: 1.2 km: the start is over the sandhills to the south of the main start/finish area

1:15 PM U14 Children’s Championship Relay - 2 km lap from the start/finish area.

2.10 PM B&G U7 fun run - 300 metres fun run "out and back" from the start/finish

2:30 PM Mixed Relay Championship & University Relay - All grades start together, 3.5 km lap. Medals will be awarded to the first 3 teams in each of the Championship Relays. Spot prizes will be awarded to teams in the University Relay.

Prize-giving to start as soon as the final runner completes the event.

PLEASE NOTE: age is taken as of 31 December 2024 or, in the case of Open, 170 or 240 Relays, age on the day of the event. 

Runners in the Championship Relays must be registered athletes to be eligible for centre championships & medals. Athletes do not have to be registered to compete in the University Relay.

Electronic Timing Batons and Changeover:

• Team members must run with the baton in their hand
• Next lap runners must enter the changeover area via the side access chute, NOT VIA THE START/FINISH CHUTE
• Baton changeover must take place WITHIN the allocated changeover zone

NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO DOGS ARE PERMITTED  ON THE FARM AREA OF QE PARK EITHER LOOSE, ON LEADS OR IN CARS SO PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CANINES AT HOME! 

Entries, fees, rules and other information: 

1. Team relay entries must be submitted online by club officials via the online link (this link will be provided in the week before the event). Entries will close 11.59 pm Thursday 9 May.

2. Runners in the Championship Relays must be registered athletes to be eligible for centre championships & medals. Athletes do not have to be registered to compete in the University Relay.

3. A runner can run a lap for only one team across all of the Championship events; any further laps must be in a team/s in the Victoria University Relay (the non-championship relay).

4. Clubs will be invoiced for entry fees after the event:
   $5 per walker
   $20 per team in the Children’s Championship Relay; $7.50 for individuals
   $50 per team in the Junior Championship Relay
   $56 per team in the Open/170/240 Championship & Victoria University Relays
   No entry fee for the U10 and U7 events.

5. Runners must wear club uniform with the team race bib as allocated by your club on the front of singlet.

6. Runners must follow all instructions from marshals and Wellington Centre officials.

7. The course will be marked with a combination of tape, marker poles, arrows, cones and marshals. Where 2 marker poles are placed as a gate, runners must run between the marker poles. Where 1 marker pole is used, runners must run within 5m either side of the marker pole. Failure to comply with a marshal’s instruction or not following the correct course may result in disqualification.

8. Protests and Appeals: IAAF Competition Rules 146 covers protests and appeals. In the first instance, any protest must be made to the Race Referee within 30 minutes of the finish of the race.

9. If a runner cannot complete their lap, they can be replaced by another member o tthe team but this will incur a 7 minute time penalty.

10. The course is not suitable for bare foot running; runners who run in bare feet do at their own risk.

11. There is no water available and no shelter (unless provided by your club tent) so come prepared. First aid is available at the Race HQ tent which is adjacent to the start/finish.

12. Please take caution when driving in the paddock and especially watch out for kids.

Thank you for supporting this event and we look forward to seeing you all on the day.