Athletics: Ariki relay team facing tough task

A test of character awaits a 12-man Ariki relay team when it takes on some of the best in the world in the 317km Portland Challenge in the United States later this week.

The event cuts off at 1000 teams, but this year's event attracted 1850 entrants so 850 were culled to meet the limit.

Teams consist of 12 runners, each of whom runs three of the 36 legs, ranging between 5.66km and 12.53km, over the total distance of 317km from Timber Lodge on the ski slopes of Mt Hood (1800m above sea level) to the finish at the town of Seaside on the Oregon coast.

Dunedin businessman Russell Lund competed in the international relay event himself while living in Portland and believes it will raise the profile of both Ariki and Otago distance runners.

"There are no substitutions along the way in this race," Lund said.

"If someone in the team gets injured along the way, the next runner has to finish that leg, and the first runner ends up running four legs and so it goes."

Ranked among the faster teams, Ariki will not start until Friday 9.30pm local time, with the gruelling first 14 legs all run before daybreak.

The first four legs are downhill, with a steep drop alongside a six-lane freeway.

Legs seven and eight are through rolling orchard country, with the density of trees making it easy to get lost.

And legs nine to 13 are on unlit trails alongside the Williamette River.

"I got lost in this area while driving over some of the course in daylight, and I lived there," Lund said.

"I also got lost in the orchard in 1995 and it cost my team the race. Our guys are going in cold turkey and have to run it at night."

The remaining 22 legs of the course are mostly undulating over a mixture of extremities and terrain, with two steep uphill legs.

The relay begins in waves, with the slower-ranked teams beginning on Friday at 3pm (local time), thus gaining a 6 hour advantage on Ariki, which will be hoping for fine weather and a moonlit night with its late start.

Overseas-based club members Eddie Smith, Max Smith and Xaviour Walker will join Tim Dobier, Brent Halley, Nathan Baxter, Callan Moody, James List, Chris Weddell, Alastair Chisnall, Greg Brockbank and Chris Tipper in Ariki's attempt to lift the North American ultra-distance relay title.

The team will be managed by Dave Crew.

It is not the first time Ariki has sent athletic teams to compete internationally. In 1968, Ariki made the first of two trips to Australia, where it competed in Canberra, Surfers Paradise, Sydney and Melbourne.

A second trip to Australia was to follow over the New Year of 1972.