National Criterium Champs To Join Southland’s Oldest Race

• New Zealand’s oldest road race will link with the National Criterium Championships in 2025.
• Cycling Southland to host Criterium Nationals alongside ILT Carnival and Gore to Invercargill race.
• Event combines track cycling and road racing to create an action-packed programme.

Cycling enthusiasts are set for a treat in January 2025, as New Zealand’s oldest road cycling race, the Gore to Invercargill road race, joins forces with the National Criterium Championships in Southland. This will mark the first time that the Criterium Nationals will be hosted in the region, adding a new dimension to the annual ILT Summer Track Carnival.

Cycling Southland’s ILT Carnival will feature two nights of thrilling track racing on 16 and 17 January, held at the ILT Velodrome. The excitement will then move to an inner-city circuit on 18 January, where cyclists will compete for the National Criterium Championship titles.

The weekend concludes with the iconic 70km Gore to Invercargill road race on Sunday, 19 January. Sponsored by Custom Canvas-Watson Saddlery Ltd, the race has been an annual highlight since 1930. Originally staged along SH1, the route now winds through Seaward Downs and Mokotua to reach Invercargill.

Cycling Southland’s General Manager, Nic Keast, expressed the organisation’s enthusiasm for hosting the National Criterium Championships alongside the established events. “The ILT Summer Track Carnival remains a vital part of our cycling development programme, and we are proud to continue the legacy of New Zealand’s longest-running road race with the Gore to Invercargill Classic,” he said. “To now add the Criterium Nationals is wonderful. The fit is ideal, and the event is exceptionally exciting—not just for cycling fans, but for the wider sporting public.”

Keast added that the Criterium Nationals’ inclusion complements the Carnival programme and brings additional excitement to the event. The Gore to Invercargill Classic, traditionally run on a handicap basis, is known for its unpredictable finishes and has crowned many prominent cyclists over the years. Notable winners include Trevor McLeay, who claimed the title three times, following in the footsteps of his father, Commonwealth Gold medallist Glenn McLeay.

The first female winner, Vicki Giles, made history in 1986, years after her father Ron had won the race in 1967. Other famous winners include Commonwealth Games gold medallist Craig Adair, former track world champion Greg Henderson, Olympic medallist Marc Ryan, and Commonwealth medallist Dylan Kennett.

Course details and entry information will be released soon, offering more opportunities for riders to be part of this prestigious event.