It's been a fixture on the Christchurch calendar for more than 50 years, and on Sunday about 15,000 runners and walkers are expected to line up for the popular City2Surf event.
The annual fun run sets off from Latimer Square and sees participants wind their way alongside the Avon river at their own pace to the finish line in New Brighton's Rawhiti Domain.
It's a charity event, and this year organisers are supporting the Cholmondeley Children’s Centre, in Governor's Bay.
Practice manager Lisa Hurry said they have a unique funding model.
"Eighty per cent of our funding comes from the generous people of Canterbury, and the remainder comes from other external contracts."
"We are quite unique in that whanau can refer themselves so they don't need to be involved with social services, although we do get referrals from various social services as well."
About 350 children stay at the Centre each year for short periods at a time and for a variety of reasons.
Hugh Cholmondeley originally opened a home on the site 99 years ago, in response to the issues of the day, and over the years the centre has cared for more than 33,000 children.
Hurry was pleased the centre would be benefactors of this year's City to Surf and the whole team was looking forward to being involved.
"The children and the staff have been busy training. So we've had several training sessions running along the Allandale foreshore here at Governor's Bay. You'll see the team all in their bright green t-shirts on Sunday."
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger will fire the horn at 9am to get the 12km event under way from Latimer Square, with joggers choosing the shorter 6km course leaving from Porritt Park at 9.45am.
• To enter the City2Surf: www.city2surf.co.nz/
• To donate to Cholmondeley Children's Centre: www.cholmondeley.org.nz/donate
- By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air
