Five years after a last-minute venue change took the Championships off their home course, the country’s best-loved road relay is heading back to Banks Peninsula.
New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic road relay returns to Canterbury roads in 2027. On 2 October, teams from around the country will once again race from the Sign of the Takahe at the base of the Port Hills to the finish line in Akaroa, as the Takahe 2 Akaroa (T2A) relay hosts the 50th New Zealand Road Relay Championships.
It is a fitting setting for the milestone. The Championships were first held on the Takahe 2 Akaroa course in 1977, and the 2027 event brings the national title race back to where it began. The original relay was first run in 1935 with the 2027 race set to be the 82nd edition of the relay.
The road back has been a long one. In 2022 the Championships were moved away from the T2A course at the last minute and run in Bottle Lake Forest instead.
In the years since, the Championships have moved around the country, from a new course at Loburn in Canterbury in 2023, to Taupō Motorsport Park in 2024, Feilding in 2025 and neighbouring Halcombe in 2026.
Athletics Canterbury has long been committed to restoring this iconic relay event. Victor Gamperle has spearheaded the initiative this year, overseeing a comprehensive feasibility study by Qualis, an independent traffic management consultancy, who have led extensive engagement with key stakeholders, including the New Zealand Transport Agency, Christchurch City Council, DOC, and local residents. Through this collaborative effort, and in partnership with Athletics New Zealand, the vision has become a reality and the event is set to return.
“Fifty years ago, the very first New Zealand Road Relay Championships were raced from the Sign of the Takahe to Akaroa, so there’s no better place to mark the 50th,” said Athletics New Zealand Event Director, Libby McGee.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing T2A back alongside Athletics Canterbury. This course means a great deal to generations of runners, and Victor and Athletics Canterbury have worked hard behind the scenes to make its return possible. We can’t wait to see club teams, run clubs and workmates lining up at the Takahe again in October 2027.”
The 2027 course follows much of the beloved historic route. To ensure the event is ready for 2027, some legs will see changes to route off the main roads onto adjacent cycle paths. A new Traffic Management Plan has been developed as part of the process.
As always, the hard work starts early. The opening leg climbs from the Sign of the Takahe up and over the Port Hills, before the relay winds its way along Banks Peninsula to the finish in Akaroa.
While national titles are on the line, T2A has always been a race for everyone. Club teams chasing Championship honours will share the road with local run clubs, parkrunners and corporate social teams, with relay options to suit teams of every size:
8-person relay: Takahe to Akaroa
6-person relay: Allandale to Cooptown
4-person relay: Seabirdge Road to Cooptown
Entries and information will be available in 2027.