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Story: West Coast region

Coast to Coast race

The annual Coast to Coast race, from Kumara to Christchurch, is New Zealand’s major multisport event. Starting at daybreak at Kumara beach, competitors have to cycle a total of 140 kilometres, run 36 kilometres (including a mountain stage across an alpine pass), and kayak 67 kilometres on the Canterbury side. The average winning time for the 243-kilometre course is 11 hours 30 minutes for men, and 13 hours for women. In 2015 the finish line was moved from Sumner to New Brighton beach.

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, West Coast region – Sport and culture, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/21159/coast-to-coast-race (accessed 13 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 September 2016.

Comments

John McKie
12 February 2024
The map picture shows the old bike leg which used to down the old west coast road on the South side of the Waimakariri however the route in recent years has been on the north side of the river along the south Eyre road to finish at New Brighton.