The three leading contenders are Sam Wreford (Timaru), Caden Shields (Hill City) and Andrew Davidson (Canterbury University).
The annual event from the Cardrona skifield entrance to Pembroke Park, in Wanaka, was first held in 2010.
The race record of 1hr 6min 18sec was run by Luke Hurring (Canterbury University) two years ago.
Shields (24) developed his running when he was on a three-year athletics scholarship at Purdue University, in the United States. He displayed good form when he won the New Zealand 10,000m title in January.
Davidson, a Christchurch doctor, has won medals at national level and will make life difficult for Wreford and Shields.
The favourite in the women's race is Simone Maier (Wanaka), who was the first female home in last weekend's Gold Rush.
Russell Prince (Wanaka), a former winner of the Coast to Coast and the Kepler Challenge, is the favourite in the masters aged 50 to 59 section. The top runner in the masters aged 40 to 49 grade is Nic Kensington (Wanaka).
Oska Inkster-Baynes (Wanaka), who won the half-marathon last year, is expected to dominate the men's 10km.
He is a talented athlete and performed with credit in Otago harrier road races last year and finished seventh in the New Zealand 10,000m in January.
Inkster-Baynes is likely to beat the open men's race record of 38min 44sec that Steve Gould ran last year.
Another contender is Glen Thurston (Wanaka), who competed in the Seattle fireman's race last year.
The women's record of 34min 24sec was run by Olympic triathlete Nicky Samuels (Wanaka) last year.
