Kea Series Season 2 Arrives Offering More Thrills and Spills and an Epic Grand Finale
We are excited to announce Season 2 of the Kea Series will take place in Summer 2026/27 with an action-packed 8 event, 9 race calendar of Kiwi Trail and Mountain Running bliss. Starting November 15th 2026, at Toi’s Challenge in Whakatane, Kea will take in the stunning ridgelines and varied terrains of Aotearoa-New Zealand from Mount Maunganui in the North to Dunedin in the South, on trails which continually rank as some of the best destinations in the world for trail running.
With 3 new events and locations, season 2 will bring together some of your favourite events both new and old. Pulling together our top trail athletes on the same start-lines. Ian Evans co-organiser of Kea newbie the Kinisi Rise & Shine Treble Cone said:
“We’re very excited for our event to be included as part of the Kea Series. There is a real shortage of this style of event in NZ, and it is fantastic to have a series that focuses on the pure mountain running aspect of our sport; Short, fast and technical. It will provide the platform to test the top athletes in NZ and encourage more people to experience the incredible terrain that New Zealand has to offer.”
Athletes will once again compete to produce their best 3 results towards scoring points on a national leaderboard, with an overall prize pool of at least $5,000 New Zealand Dollars. In return for committing to take part in the series athletes can receive a 20% discount on each race they participate in, and there are further opportunities for support with events, products and promotion.
Working with Athletics New Zealand the series will include both the 2027 New Zealand Short Trail Champs at Xterra Wellington, and New Zealand Mountain Running Champs in Nelson. These races will be key races for athletes looking to qualify for the World Championships in South Africa later in the year. For the first time the series will include a grand final weekend with the back-to-back Nelson Mountain Running Festival event on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of May 2027. This will see a major prize giving on Sunday 9th of May to culminate the best part of 5 months of action on the trails around New Zealand.
This year’s series sees CurraNZ, Fuel Me and Clif Bar working alongside Kea to help develop and support local athletes competing in top local events. Scott Cushman National Sales Manager for local blackcurrant recovery supplement producer CurraNZ says:
“CurraNZ is proud to be back supporting another season of the Kea Series, continuing our partnership with one of New Zealand’s most exciting grassroots trail-running initiatives. The series is dedicated to developing emerging Kiwi trail talent, giving athletes opportunities to race, gain experience and push their limits in some of Aotearoa’s most spectacular terrain. As a New Zealand-born sports nutrition brand, we’re delighted to continue playing a part in growing the sport and supporting runners striving to reach their personal best.”
The work continues as we seek to grow the Kea Series to make it an open and inclusive part of the Kiwi sporting landscape. Some of the best parts of Season 1 were seeing the same faces across the series from an array of different backgrounds and corners of the country. The Kea Series aims to develop our top athletes young and old, build out the infrastructure for our amazing trail running community, and showcase our amazing natural environments. Helping to foster fun in both the competitive and social sides of the sport together, through athlete support, activations, and media.
See you out on the trails soon!
Kea Series Season 2 – Summer 2026/27
Toi’s Challenge – Whakatane Sunday 15th November 2026
Kinisi Rise and Shine Treble Cone – Wanaka Saturday 16th January 2027
The Goat – Ohakune Saturday 23rd January 2027
Xterra Wellington (including NZ Short Trail Champs) – Saturday 27th February 2027
Motatapu UDC Finance Miner’s Trail – Arrowtown Saturday 6th March 2027
3 Peaks – Dunedin Sunday 14th March 2027
Mauao King and Queen of The Mountain – Mount Maunganui Saturday 24th April
Nelson Mountain Running Festival (incl. NZ Mountain Running Champs [Uphill]) – Uphill Only on Saturday 8th and Classic on Sunday 9th of May 2027
For further details contact:
Michael Sutton
Kea Series Organiser
info@kearun.nz
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