Kaiteriteri Beach is hosting the 2013 New Zealand multisport championships on Saturday.

The race is part of the KBAR event weekend that hosts a number of adventure sporting events over the two days.

The championship race will have participants competing over four stages.

First up is a 2.5km trail run around the Kaiteriteri estuary and then on to the forest trails before heading back to the beach. That's followed by an 8km paddle stage in the Split Apple Rock area, a 20km mountainbike ride and the final 5km trail run.

Most athletes are racing for their respective national age group titles although the fastest female and male finishers will be crowned national champions.

Notably absent from the pre-entered athletes are Nelson's leading multisport athletes, Richard and Elina Ussher, Sophie Hart and Trevor Voyce. After competing in the Coast to Coast earlier in the month, they are recovering from that event and also preparing for other events early in March.

There is a chance they may enter the events on the day, more as a training exercise.

The power-paddling of Dan Busch, of Nelson, makes him the leading contender in the men's race. Motueka athlete Danial Bremner, and Kim Hogarth and Seamus Meikle, of Greymouth, are also in the mix. Scott Cole is a Swedish athlete and is expected to race well.

The women's race should be a close competition between Freya Sonneland, Lisa Morrison and Sally Powell.

Also on Saturday is the K-ids multisport race, with under-16 youths racing on a shortened course.

The Summer Challenge women's event tackles the same course as the championship race, with teams of two women pairing up and doing the full race course together as a team.

For the single-discipline specialists, there is the K-Tag relay race.

The weather forecast for the weekend is warm weather, possible cloud cover and light showers on Saturday night, which will be beneficial to mountainbiking in the forest, which is very dry.

On Sunday, there is an off-road duathlon and a mountainbike event, both starting at 10am.

Around 200 people are expected to take part in the KBAR event.

Entries are online or can also on the day at the event site. Details are online at kbar.co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News