There are 586 entrants in Saturday's Contact Epic Round Lake Hawea mountain bike race and no late entries are being taken.
Race organiser Danielle Nicholson said 377 cyclists will start the 125km race at Lake Hawea Dam at 7am, while 209 cyclists begin the 95km event at Kidd's Bush at 7am.
"We could have gone over last year's numbers if we had taken late entries but we didn't want to do that because of our safety procedures.
"We are thrilled with the numbers," Nicholson said.
Last year, about 600 people entered, compared to 520 in the inaugural 2008 race.
Returning for the third time is two-time open women's category champion Kath Kelly, of Miller's Flat, who won in 2008 in 5hr 26min 35sec, and again last year on a muddier, slower course in 5hr 46min 36sec.
The top end of the women's field has an unknown quality about it and Kelly may find herself racing the men again.
She was 12th overall last year and finished almost one hour ahead of her nearest female rival.
However, Hawea Flat's Floortje Draisma may provide company this year, after her strong performance in the Alpine Epic multistage team race last month, in which Draisma and Wanaka's Jo Williams finished second behind Kelly and Erin Greene, of Dunedin.
Brent Miller, of Christchurch, is defending the open men's title he won last year in 5hr 7min 36sec.
Last year's fastest overall, master's athlete Jim Murray, of Tirau (who beat Miller by 10 seconds), has not re-entered, but a strong challenge may come from Wanaka's David Drake, who was second in both 2008 and 2009.
Marcus Roy, of Southland, who holds the course record of 4hr 44min set in 2008 - before the course was correctly measured and lengthened by several kilometres - is also competing this year.
Christchurch multisport great Steve Gurney is one of the 126 entrants in the "Last Man Standing" pool of those who completed the previous two 125km races and are back for a third go around.
Part of the course crosses Hunter Valley Station, which is now for sale, but Nicholson is not worrying about the event's future just yet.
"We will deal with it when it comes. We hope whoever buys the station will be community-minded," she said.
Meanwhile, incentive to finish has been provided by sponsor Contact Energy, which will donate $1 for every kilometre cycled by participants in both the 95km and 125km race to the Lake Hawea Community Association.
The donation is capped at $60,000 and will help pay for $1.54 million extension to the Lake Hawea Community Centre.
