Race director Robin Judkins has confidence in Allan's ability after he won the two-day event last year.
"Dougal's my dark horse pick," Judkins told the Otago Daily Times just before he boarded a helicopter to take him to the West Coast yesterday.
"He has had an outstanding record over the last 12 months."
Since winning the two-day event last year Allan has won three major multisport events - the Gold Rush in Alexandra, the Peak to Peak in Queenstown and the 24hr Southern Traverse.
Allan (23), who now works for the Department of Conservation, has applied the latest sports science to his training and that is the reason for his impressive record over the last 12 months.
But the odds are against him winning the gruelling one-day event ahead of race favourite Gordon Walker (Auckland) who won in 2007 and was runner-up on 2005, 2006 and 2008.
Walker has battled multisport legend Richard Ussher over the past four years, but Judkins feels that Walker's time has probably come.
Ussher is not contesting this year's event, working instead with his Finnish wife Elina, as she puts forward a strong challenge in the women's event.
The one-day race begins at Kumara Beach on the West Coast tomorrow and takes in 243km of cycling, mountain running and whitewater kayaking before finishing on Sumner Beach at Christchurch.
There is also a two-day race, for individuals and two-person teams, beginning today.
The only competitor to win the one-day event after winning the two-day race is Keith Murray (Christchurch) who set the race record of 10hr 34min 37sec in 1994.
He won the two-day race in 1992 and 1993.
Allan and Christchurch policeman Luke Vaughan (25), who won the two-day race as a teenager, will both be attempting to follow in Murray's footsteps.
The women's one-day event this year has attracted three of the last four champions in Emily Miazga, Fleur Pawsey and evergreen Jill Westenra.
The 2008 and 2007 winners, Miazga and Pawsey, will renew their rivalry from last year, when after 13 hours of racing Miazga passed Pawsey in the final 3km to win by just 40sec.
Christchurch-based Canadian Miazga (34) also won in 2006 title, but missed five weeks of training before Christmas, after suffering from pneumonia, and is a doubtful starter.
Competitors cycle 140km (three stages of 55km, 15 km and 70 km), run 36km (including a 33km mountain stage that crosses the Southern Alps) and kayak 67km through the Waimakariri Gorge.
There are 798 competitors in this year's event, up three from last year.
It is the second most competitors in the event behind the 830 who contested the 25th jubilee event two years ago.
