Almost 800 people will line up on Kumara Beach for this year's Speight's Coast to Coast, organisers say.
But while the 28th edition of the 243km cycle, mountain run and kayak race across the South Island has been dubbed "the year of the family", it could be international entries who steal the limelight.
Less than two months out from the 2010 Speight's Coast to Coast on February 12 and 13, race director Robin Judkins is ecstatic with record international entries.
"At the moment we have 131 entries from 19 countries," Judkins said.
"That's the most we've ever had, and we'll get more before the race."
Entries this year have come from as far afield as the United States, England, France, Canada, Scotland, Wales, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Australia, Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Germany and even Zimbabwe and the Cook Islands.
"The really impressive thing is that for the first time, internationals outnumber every New Zealand region except Christchurch," Judkins said.
"Christchurch always has the biggest entry, but Auckland has usually been the next biggest.
But this year it's all about the internationals."
The international field will include German doctor Andre Rudolph, who experienced the event as a spectator in 1999 when he was an exchange student at Shirley Boys High School in Christchurch.
More than a decade later he is returning to participate with his schoolboy host family acting as support crew.
England's Beverly family has made the Speight's Coast to Coast its ultimate family reunion, with Michael, his daughter, Alice, and her boyfriend, Matt Cates, all entered for the two-day individual event.
Some international entrants also have local family interest.
Steven Grant is flying out from Scotland to take on the one day world championship event, with his parents along as support crew and his New Zealand-based sister providing accommodation.
"The interest from the UK has been huge," Judkins said.
"For the first time Australia is not the biggest international entry.
We have 46 from the UK and 42 from Australia, which is a record for both countries, actually.
There is also a record entry from Americans, with 13."
Internationals could also have a big impact on the race for line honours in 2010.
The race has been won by overseas athletes three times since the event was established in 1983.
Race record-holder Keith Murray (10hr 34min 37sec, 1994) hailed from Scotland, but was living in New Zealand when he won.
The same can be said of Murray's wife, Andrea, who hails from the US but was living in Christchurch when she set the women's race record of 12hr 09min 26sec in 1997.
More recently, Canadian-born Emily Miazga has won the Speight's Coast to Coast three out of the past four years.
But she was living in Christchurch and is now on the West Coast.
Indeed, the only true internationals to triumph at the Speight's Coast to Coast were inaugural winner Dr Joe Sherriff (1983) from the UK, South African Rockley Montgomery (1992) and Australian John Jacoby, a former kayak marathon world champion who won the Speight's Coast to Coast three times in six years (1988, 1989 and 1993).
In the men's race next year, defending champion Gordon Walker will need to watch out for Brazilian Kenny Sousa Alvez, Swedes Scott Cole and Martin Flinta, and Canadian Jakob Van Dorn.
These four have all won major races in their home countries and Flinta has placed in the top 15 at the Speight's Coast to Coast twice before.
Judkins, however, thinks the women's race is most likely to produce an international upset.
Miazga is favourite to notch up a fourth win, with 2007 winner Fluer Pawsey expected to push her hard, but a strong international contingent will provide several dark-horse challenges.
The most likely is Finland's Nelson-based Elina Ussher, who has won just about everything except the Speight's Coast to Coast.
A solid third place last year hints at her finally coming to grips with the event.
Others expected to challenge include Brazilian Nora Audra and Danes Sia Svendsen, who are both now based in Christchurch.
Among true-blue internationals, Brazilian Camila Nicolau, Swede Emma Wichardt and Canadian Ursula Tracz, who has dominated the adventure scene in her country, are all likely front-runners.
The biggest female threat, however, will come from Australian Kim Beckinsale.
The Noosa resident is an experienced endurance athlete and professional coach enjoying the best form of her life, despite being 42-years-old.
Hailing from a triathlon background, she won a world age-group title in 2003 and three consecutive Australian titles (2002, 2003 and 2004).
In more recent years she has moved across to multisport and adventure racing, with podium placings in Australia's top events such as the Kathmandu Series, Keen Adventure Race, Anaconda Series and GeoQuest.
She is expected to excel on the mountain run, where she has won some of Australia's most prestigious events, such as the Pomona Queens of the Mountain and the Glasshouse Trails Series.
"I don't think we've ever had a deeper international challenge for the podium," Judkins said.
