First raced in 1907, the interclub cross-country team contest will be raced over 5km for the second time.
Originally, it was contested over three miles, and it was later increased to 10.4km to stay in line with the national cross-country standard 50 years ago.
Chignell (17), who finished fourth over 6km in the national secondary school cross-country championships at the Gladfield Golf Club last weekend, will go into the race full of confidence.
However, the Hill City-University runner will have to fend off challenges from clubmates Kerrin Williams and Michael Wakelin.
Jason Palmer (Leith), the third-fastest New Zealander (2hr 30min 49sec) in the Christchurch Marathon earlier in the month, Neale McLanachan (Leith) and Caversham's Jonah Smith and Jake Jackson-Grammar are other contenders.
Peter Meffan is not defending his title, and 2013 champion Ben Anderson is chasing track competition in Europe.
Former Columba College pupil Hanna English, who is now based in Auckland and concentrating on football, is not around to defend her open women's title.
Mel Aitken, who finished third behind English and Louisa Andrew in 21min 5sec last year, will fancy her chances to cross the line first.
The Leith runner is one of 90 competing today, and goes into the race in fine form, having slashed almost 10min off her personal-best time at the Christchurch Marathon, finishing in 2hr 49min 13sec.
Her biggest rivals will probably be Sarah Chisnall (Ariki) and Hill City-University's Jessie Murphy and Bella Bloomfield.
Bloomfield, Murphy and Rosemary Stamm, who is also competing today, won the senior women's 4x1500m Lovelock Relay title with Susannah Lynch last month.
Murphy, the Otago secondary schools senior girls cross-country champion, will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing run last weekend, when she finished 25th in the 4km senior girls race.
The Edmond Cup has traditionally been a team event. Six-strong men's and four-strong women's teams will battle it out for the WF Edmond Challenge Cup and Bates Trophy respectively.
The open men's and women's race will be run with the boys and girls under-15 race at 1.45pm, with an open walk at 1pm and the boys and girls under 13 and under 8 race at 1.20pm.
