It is being billed as 12km of running but for those wishing to run the oldest road race in the southern hemisphere next month comes the opportunity to line up against some of the best in the business, all vying to break a 42-year-old record and claim $2000.
First held in 1902 over an unmarked course between Port Chalmers and Dunedin, what has become fondly referred to over time as the Port Road Race will for the second time be contested on the last Sunday in January as an open event.
Prior to this, the event was held annually as part of the winter harrier interclub programme. But in an attempt to rejuvenate the historic event, in which many internationals have competed over the years, it has been moved to the end of January.
Dunedin's Stuart Melville followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who 70 years before claimed fastest time honours. He won the cup for fastest time in three consecutive years, and set what was then a course record of 43min 57sec. Melville, a 1974 Commonwealth Games representative, achieved fastest time in 1976, clocking 38min 21sec.
This time was still shy of the course record set in 1974 by Ariki's Alan (AJ) Moir of 37min 40sec.
Only one other runner, Tony O'Brien (Mornington), has gone close to that - he recorded a sub-38min time in 1975, clocking 37min 55sec.
Over the past 30 years, only Paul Allison (Ariki), with 38min 5sec, and Caden Shields (Hill City), with 38min 25sec, have attacked the record of Moir. As a result, Athletics Otago has arranged a $2000 incentive to anyone who can better Moir's 1974 course record.
Organisers are hopeful that by dangling the cash carrot, the event will again attract the sort of fields that once populated the event at the height of the running boom in the 1970s and 1980s, and that some of the country's top middle-distance runners will take part.
The incentives to contest the 115-year-old event are across the board as there are several valuable prizes on offer for all those taking part.
While the event is open to the general public, it will have a sealed handicap section for registered athletes, as the event will no longer have its staggered start based on handicap.
All competitors start at the intersection of State Highway One and Borlases Rd on Sunday, January 29 at 1pm, following a 12km course to finish in Butts Rd.
