Queen Charlotte Relay
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
Queen Charlotte Relay
The Queen Charlotte Relay is a five person road relay along Queen Charlotte Road between Picton and Havelock. It is one of the oldest road relays in New Zealand, first held on 17 September 1982 and run annually except for cancellations in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The course has had only minor changes, mainly in Havelock. Teams come from across New Zealand.
The event includes runners and a walkers grade introduced in 2002; the walkers grade is social and is not refereed. The relay finishes outside the Havelock Hotel and starts from the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal yard in Picton. All registration, toilets and race briefings take place at the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal yard. Buses for leg 2 runners operate from that location and support vehicles depart after the race brief.
The course is divided into five legs with the following distances and profiles:
- Leg 1: Picton to Wedge Point, 5,100 metres, undulating then steady climb
- Leg 2: Wedge Point to Momorangi Bay, 8,600 metres, downhill then undulating
- Leg 3: Momorangi Bay to Linkwater, 8,100 metres, flat and fast
- Leg 4: Linkwater to Moenui, 6,200 metres, undulating then steady climb
- Leg 5: Moenui to Havelock, 6,650 metres, steady rise then sharp downhill then undulating
There are cut off running times at changeover points and prizes for first placing in each grade plus fastest lap times for men and women. Entry is by team only at a fee of $200; the field is limited to 80 teams. All competitors must be aged 14 or above. If the race is cancelled on the basis of unsafe road conditions at the request of Marlborough Roads, entry fees will be refunded less a $40 administration fee. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
