A fast men's field is expected to line up for the fourth Cardrona half-marathon on Saturday morning.
Former Dunedin athlete Luke Hurring, now living in Christchurch and ranked ninth in New Zealand, has entered to race against defending champion Adrian Bailey, of Christchurch.
Bailey holds the course record of 1hr 11min 31sec, which he set last year, and both he and Hurring are expected to go under that.
Another sub-70min entrant is Kyle Barnes, of Auckland.
Highland Events organiser Ed Stevens said Bailey could find the race quite different this year.
"Last year he had the race to himself. The next one in was 1hr 18min . . . They will definitely be breaking the record unless there is one hell of a strong northerly," Stevens said.
More than 200 athletes have registered for the 21km half-marathon and its 10km sister race in the Cardrona Valley.
The majority of the runners have entered in the 21km discipline.
Marathon champion Shireen Crumpton (Dunedin), ranked seventh in New Zealand over 10km, is expected to lead the field in the 10km race and is capable of a sub-35min performance.
Crumpton is using the race to prepare for the Boston Marathon on April 18.
Hurring and Bailey are preparing for the Rotorua Marathon on April 30.
