ThermaTech 3D : Voyce on song for NZ champs

Nelson's Trevor Voyce will be up against the likes of multisport legend Richard Ussher in the 3D Rotorua Multisport Festival. Photo / Jamie Throughton / Dscribe Media Services

Trevor Voyce knows there's very little that separates a trip to the multisport penthouse from a trip to the multisport outhouse.

The Nelson athlete will be one of the leading contenders in this Sunday's ThermaTech 3D Rotorua 50km race, which doubles as the New Zealand Multisport Championships.

Voyce was only beaten in the last kilometre of the 2014 edition by Australian Jarad Kohlar (pictured back page), though he's realistic about his ambitions in Sunday's race. "I'm in good shape this year - it's hard to tell exactly how fast I am but I feel stronger than last year," Voyce said. "My aim is to win but there is a very strong field this year and I could race well and place fifth, so my real goal is to beat last year's time."

The feature race on Sunday starts at 10.45am at Tikitapu (Blue Lake).

Voyce turned 35 this week and has been in decent form, winning the Hutt City Crazyman earlier in the month. He also finished third in the Speight's Coast to Coast in February, a spot behind Whakatane's Sam Clark and the pair will renew their rivalry this weekend.

There will also be another Coast to Coast re-enactment in the women's race, where 2013 3D winner Simone Maier (Wanaka), runner-up in the Coast to Coast, will take on two-time 3D winner Elina Ussher (Nelson), who was third at the Coast to Coast this year. Cambridge-raised Queenstown athlete Emily Wilson will also add depth to the women's field, while defending champion and local star Nic Leary takes a break from the sport.

The 3D event is one of New Zealand's biggest multisport festivals. Close to 1000 athletes will compete in the giant Rotorua playground over a range of distances. With $50,000 in prizes and giveaways, the festival boasts the feature 50km multisport race as well as plenty of other events on offer. The feature race includes a 9km paddle on Tikitapu (Blue Lake), 30km mountain bike ride in the Whakarewarewa Forest and 11km run through the forest to finish.

The Metservice is predicting relatively good weather for Sunday, with only a few showers. That's given race director Neil Gellatly confidence the festival will have a big turnout.

•Online entries are closed but late entries are accepted at the registration expo between 3pm-6pm on Saturday at the Rotorua Holiday Inn. There are no on-the-day entries.