Duathlon: Lawrence's first event getting plenty of attention

Lawrence will have an extra spring in its step this year with a new event being held in the historic gold-mining town.

The Lawrence Spring Duathlon, a first for the town, will be held on Sunday, November 7.

Event co-organiser Margaret Larsen said the idea for a duathlon came after some of the local women took part in the Queenstown Real Women's duathlon in March.

"We thought, why can't we do this in Lawrence?" she said.

The 3km walk/run, 12km bike, 1.5 km walk/run event will encompass some of the town's historic sites, including Gabriel's Gully and the old Hart's Black Horse brewery.

Categories for the race include individual men and women, teams and under 16.

"We've gone round the high schools to try and encourage students to take part," Larsen said.

The event was being held in conjunction with the Lawrence country fair and the local community was getting right behind it, she said.

The teams category had been popular with Lawrence locals with some opting to bike and others in for the run.

The event had attracted entries from Queenstown, Roxburgh and Dunedin.

Registration for the event closes on October 22.

- Nick Rees