The Dovedale Hill Race
50th Anniversary
09 August 2025
It's the 50th Anniversary of the classic 11k run/walk from Wakefield to the top of Dovedale Hill along Pigeon Valley Road.
Everyone is welcome - runners, walkers, members and non-members.
Registration is in the Whitby car park in the middle of Wakefield from 1:15pm.
The 11.1km course starts at the Caltex garage in Wakefield, running along the right hand side pavement for 300m before turning right into Pigeon Valley Rd. The course is then run along the RIGHT hand side of Pigeon Valley Rd for another 11km to the top of the hill. Stay on "Pigeon Valley Rd" all the way. The road is reasonably flat & sealed for 5.5km, then turns to gravel and starts climbing for the final 5km. The last 5km is narrow, windy and steeply cambered in places and has poor visibility for approaching traffic.
Stay on the right hand side all the way.
Stay within 1m of the edge of the road.
Give way to all traffic and if necessary stop and get off the road to allow traffic or trucks to pass.
There is a water station half way at the end of the seal.
To minimise the time our crew are having to wait at the top of the hill, we are having the following start times:
1:45pm: Casual Walkers
2:00pm: Quicker Walkers and Slower Runners (more than 34mins for a flat 5km)
2:15pm: Main Runners Group
2:30pm: Quicker Runners (less than 22mins for a flat 5km)
2:45pm: 5.5k Juniors - Start from half way water station - will need own transport to start line.
If you can't manage 11km, you can make up a team of 2 on the day and run/walk half each.
This is a one way course with competitors either jogging back down using forestry roads and Pigeon Valley Rd, or carpooling and leaving a car at the top before the event.
The course map is HERE.
Come to the Wakefield Hotel after the event for awards and hot chips!
$10 entry fee, but free for school kids & youth students, for Waimea Harriers and Athletics Nelson members ...so why not join Waimea Harriers now? $40 individual or $60 couple/family. Join HERE.
Club Trophies to compete for:
Watts Rural Trophies 1st WH Runner Men's & Women's
Donald Gunn Trophies - 1st WH Runner 60+ Men's & Women's
Watts Rural Trophies 1st WH Walker Men's & Women's
Mug O' the Hill - Last Waimea Harriers Runner
Andrew Barker Trophies 1st WH Junior 5km Boy & Girl
Waimea Harriers Trophies 1st WH College 5km Boy & Girl