There are top titles up for grabs at Sunday's 10th Peak Trail Blazer event over the Te Mata Peak terrain as some reigning champions are unable to return to defend them.
Race Director Jo Throp said she had learned that several champions were not able to come back, including the reigning Te Awanga Estate King of the Peak, Niam Macdonald, who competed in last weekend's World Mountain Running Championships in Patagonia.
"Niam tried so hard to make it work, he was very keen to get back and defend, but in the end his flight was going to get him in to Napier only 40 minutes before the Peak Trail Blazer kicked off," Throp said.
"It just wasn't going to work — but that throws the field wide open which will make for an exciting battle up on the peak, especially with $500 prize money on the line."
Reigning Hawke's Bay Orthodontics Queen of the Peak Julia Anderson is making the trip up from Nelson and Throp says she was aware of a couple of other previous Queens heading this way for race day.