Peter Meffan has won the title the past three years, but his absence today has opened the door for someone else to win the 12km race.
Meffan, a sixth-year medical student at the University of Otago, is in the middle of his elective placement in Germany and Kenya, where he has also been training with Kenyan 800m world champion and record-holder David Rudisha.
Meffan was the first runner to win the race three years in succession since Jeff Spillane (Hill City-University) from 2000 to 2002.
Jason Palmer (Leith), winner of last year's Dunedin half-marathon, is one of the strongest contenders to win the race, which consists of six 2km laps of the course.
Palmer, one of nine runners in the senior men's field, is expected to face challenges from Caversham runners Jonah Smith and Joshua Baan.
Smith was out of sorts on his way to eighth in the Edmond Cup 5.4km open men's race a couple of weeks ago, but is better suited over 12km.
Baan comfortably won the 8km under-20 race a year ago, and is expected to challenge for the Fairmaid Challenge Trophy.
Shireen Crumpton (Hill City-University) is back to defender her senior women's 8km title and, if she goes on to win today's race, it will be her 10th title since 1998.
She also won the race in 2001, but was not officially recognised as the winner as she was registered with Counties-Manukau.
Shauna Pali, the 2013 champion, should provide Crumpton with a stern challenge, while Edmond Cup open women's champion Mel Aitken (Leith) and runner-up Sarah Chisnall (Ariki) are also entered.
Aitken, who told the Otago Daily Times she was in the form of her life after the Edmond Cup, is expected to mount a serious challenge for the title.
Jake Jackson-Grammar (Caversham), runner-up to Oli Chignell (Hill City-University) in the Edmond Cup open men's race, will go into today's 8km under-20 race as the favourite, while Chignell is expected to romp home in the 6km under-18 race.
Chignell (17), who two weeks ago became the youngest winner of the Edmond Cup in almost 100 years, won the race in 21min 4sec a year ago, and should go under 21min this time round. Racing starts at the Waikouaiti Race Course at 1pm.
The Otago team for the national cross-country championships in Christchurch next month will be named this afternoon.
