Event Details

Dates

Sunday 6 September 2026

Venue

Waipuna Park, Welcome Bay, Tauranga

Entry Fee

NZ$45.00 per individual runner

NZ$45.00 per school team relay entry

RegistrATION TimeliNe

Entries Open

Friday 20 March 2026 at 9:00 AM

Entries Close

Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 7:59 PM

All registrations must be submitted online by each school’s designated Zespri AIMS Games Coordinator using their unique login code.

CONTACT

Email: info@nzaimsgames.co.nz​​​​​​​

PLANNING INFORMATION

Entry Fees

• NZ$45.00 per individual runner (non-refundable)
• NZ$45.00 per school team relay entry (non-refundable)
• Payment is due within 7 days of invoice receipt
• Invoices will be issued to school accounts managers after entries close

Eligibility

Students must be aged over 10 and under 13 years as of 31 December 2025. For the 2026 Games, eligible birth years are 2013, 2014, and 2015. Birthdates must be provided during registration.

Competition Divisions

Individuals

• Year 7 Boys (maximum of 5 runners per school)
• Year 7 Girls (maximum of 5 runners per school)
• Year 8 Boys (maximum of 5 runners per school)
• Year 8 Girls (maximum of 5 runners per school)
• Adapted Sports Athletes Boys (no limit on number of runners per school)
• Adapted Sports Athletes Girls (no limit on number of runners per school)

School Team Relays

• 6km Relay

Schools with 8 or fewer runners entered in the individual events may register for either the 6km Relay or the 12km Relay — but not both.

• 12km Relay

Schools with 9 or more runners entered in the individual events are eligible to register for the 12km Relay only.

Important: Each school may enter one relay team only, across both divisions. Please refer to the Zespri AIMS Games website for further criteria regarding school team relays.

Team Honours

Team Honours is awarded based on the combined placings of a school’s first three runners to finish in the individual races. This category is separate from the school team relays. Schools with three or more runners entered in the individual divisions are automatically considered for Team Honours — no separate registration is required.

Adapted Sports Athletes

The Zespri AIMS Games offers a dedicated Adapted Sports Athletes division in Cross Country.

Event Format

The race will be conducted as a 2‑lap, 800m track event.

Eligibility and Participation Requirements

While there are no formal qualifying standards, athletes must have a disability that prevents them from fairly competing against their non‑disabled peers in the open event. All entrants must be capable of completing the 800m grass track course.

Results

Placings are determined by the order in which athletes cross the finish line, regardless of disability type or extent.

Multi-Code Participation

Students may enter more than one sporting code, provided they meet permitted code crossover eligibility.

Please note: No timetable adjustments will be made to accommodate scheduling conflicts between sporting codes. It is the responsibility of each school and the parents/caregivers to ensure that students’ chosen events do not overlap.​​​​​​​

PROGRAMME

ALL RACE DISTANCES, TIMES AND RECORDS

RULES

Individual Races

1. Schools may enter a maximum of five runners only in each of the age/gender divisions.
2. Runners cannot run for other divisions.
3. Running barefoot is permitted.
4. Spikes are allowed to be worn for all races. Runners must keep these to a maximum length of 9mm.
5. Runners wearing no spikes will be positioned on the outside of the starting line.
6. Runners will have two hurdles on the course. The height of the hurdles is 0.762m (30 inches).
7. At the start, teams will be able to have two runners positioned on the start line with the other two runners directly behind them and then one runner directly behind them (two/two/one).

Adapted Sports Athletes

1. The event will be run as an Adapted Sports Athletes 800m track event – and will be a 2-lap course.
2. While there are no formal qualifying standards, athletes must have a disability that prevents them from fairly competing against their non‑disabled peers in the open event.
3. Placings are determined by the order in which athletes cross the finish line, regardless of disability type or extent.
4. Although no qualifying times are required, all entrants must be capable of completing the 800m grass track course.
5. Adapted sports athletes may run with a pre‑registered guide if required for safety.
6. Only one guide is permitted.
7. Pacing is not allowed, and the guide must not cross the finish line before the athlete.
8. Athletes requiring outside assistance for forward momentum (e.g., being pushed in a wheelchair) may participate; however, these athletes will not be eligible for medals or placings in races with more than three competitors.

School Relays

1. If a school has entered the 12km relay and they drop to 8 or less individuals who start and finish their races on race day, they can be changed to the 6km relay (at the school’s request to the code co-ordinator, by 12:30 PM on race day).
2. We will not accept entries to the 6km relay from schools with 9 or more individuals across both the male and female divisions who start and finish their individual event on race day.  They will be changed to the 12km if the 6km category is entered when registration close. 
3. Schools are required to pay the entry fee of NZ$45.00 for the 12km School Relay OR the 6km School Relay.
4. Only runners who have run in an individual race for their school are permitted to run in a relay team.  We will be checking the eligibility of ALL runners – via the sighting of the coloured wrist band prior to the relays starting (that will be issued to all individual runners in managers packs).

12km Relay

1. The team must have a minimum of six and a maximum of twelve runners.
2. Consists of 12 consecutive laps of a 1km course.
3. The team can be made up of any year group ratio e.g., the team can be all year 8 students.
4. The team must be mixed gender.
5. The team must have a minimum of three girls/boys.

6km Relay

1. The team must have a minimum of four and a maximum of six runners.
2. Consists of 6 consecutive laps of a 1km course.
3. The team can be made up of any year group or gender ratio.  There is no required minimum of year/gender, e.g., the team can be boys only

Relay Rules

1. All schools will be provided with a Relay sheet in their managers pack.
2. Schools are required to list/confirm their starting order and present it to the Event Team at the pavilion/clubrooms by 12:30 PM on race day.
3. Only runners who have run in an individual race for their school are permitted to run in a relay team. Under no circumstances can team members be replaced with runners who have not completed an individual event for the school that is entered or with runners from another school. 
4. Remove all bibs worn by individual team members in previous races and ensure these are kept clear of the timing equipment.
5. All teams are required to list their starting order by 12:30 PM on race day (an official form is supplied in your relay race number bag).
6. In all scenarios a runner must complete a minimum of one full lap. If for some reason the runner cannot complete his/her lap, the runner listed on the next lap must run back and tag them. They then proceed to complete the injured runners lap before commencing their own lap(s).
7. Runners can complete more than one lap consecutively.
8. Runners can run in any order in terms of year and gender.
9. It is the responsibility of the student running the final lap to know to run into the finish chute.  To assist with this, they will need to wear a green or orange coloured wrist scrunchie - which is in the managers packs, so that marshals know to direct them if needed. 
10. Each relay team will be issued with a baton (27.5cm).
11. Pacing during the relay is strictly not permitted.
12. There will be NO hurdle in the relay course.