The strong Caversham team is expected to retain its open men's title at the Ponydale cross-country relays today.
Its team contains the top two runners from last year's open men's race.
Ben Anderson, who won a silver medal in the senior men's 800m at the national track and field championships last summer, gained the fastest lap time in 9min 29sec for the 2650m men's course. Jonah Smith was second in 9min 31sec.
Smith is expected to give Caversham the lead after the first of the four laps.
He will be chased by Joe Beamish (Hill City-University) and Three Peaks winner Stafford Thompson (Ariki).
Ariki could take the lead in the second lap, which will be run by Otago senior men's 5000m champion Nathan Baxter.
It will be the job of Gareth Benic and Lorenz Kissling to get Caversham close before the final lap to give Anderson the opportunity to bring his team home.
The speedy Anderson is capable of winning the race if Caversham is within 20sec of the leaders before the last lap.
Hill City-University won the women's race last year but Ariki looks to be the stronger this year, with Columba College pupils Hanna English and Charlotte Cahill in the team.
English gained second-fastest time last year behind Rebekah Greene (Hill City-University), who now has a running scholarship in the United States.
English shared the fastest time with Cahill for Columba College in the King's relays this week.
The other members of the Ariki team are Bridget Thompson and Lucia Vincent.
Civil Service should not be underestimated because it has multisport international Katie Menzies and Ella Ritchie (nee Clark) in its team.
The open women's race starts at 1.30pm and the open men's event is at 2.40pm.
