Burke (16), a Mount Aspiring College pupil, is one of 16 runners in the women's under-20 race, which is run as part of the annual Potts Classic.
The 17th annual meeting is held in memory of athletics stalwarts Allan and Sylvia Potts, who died last year and in 1999 respectively.
Burke won silver in the senior girls 3000m at the national secondary schools athletics championships in a personal-best time of 10min 12.77sec in Timaru last month.
Sophie Rees, of Auckland, beat Burke by 6.74sec in Timaru and is one of the favourites for today's race.
But 14-year-old Taranaki runner Hannah O'Connor is the one to watch.
She won the junior girls 3000m race in Timaru in 9min 47.89sec, and boasts a personal best of 9min 41.92sec, set at a weekly meet in Masterton last October.
Among others expected to push for a spot on the podium are Emerson Deverell, of Waikato-BOP, Deborah Paine, of Waikato-BOP, and Phoebe McKnight, of Wellington.
Deverell finished fourth last year, while Paine clocked 10min 10.13sec over 3000m in Tauranga on January 1.
McKnight has a personal-best time of 10min 3.28sec to her name.
New Zealand 1500m ace Nick Willis is competing at the meet, which has attracted a record 191 athletics this year.
But Willis will not be running his preferred distance, instead entering the main event, the 800m.
He has a best time of 1min 45.54sec over 800m and will be up against Australian sub-four-minute miler Craig Huffer, who has clocked 1min 47.73sec.
Hamish Carson and four-time national champion Brad Mathas, who won in 1min 47.39sec last year, are also competing.
Angie Petty will also open her 2016 campaign today and is in pursuit of a seventh straight win in the women's 800m.
The 24-year-old has a personal-best time of 1min 59.06sec, set on her way to winning the World University Games title in South Korea last July.
Shot putter Jacko Gill, the world junior record-holder, will highlight the field events in pursuit of a 20.50m qualifier for the Rio Olympics later this year.
