The Hillary trail run through Auckland's Waitakere Ranges has been cancelled with a rāhui on the area to protect kauri trees.
Kauri in the Waitakere Ranges Photo: RNZ / Sally Murphy
Auckland Council voted to support the rāhui mana whenua placed on the ranges earlier this month after a council report revealed almost one in five kauri are infected with kauri dieback disease.
The organisers of the run said it was being cancelled to honour the rāhui.
They said the decision was not taken lightly, and one of the ethos of the Hillary Trail Run Charitable Trust was to promoting the care and stewardship of the Waitakere Ranges.
They said an alternative event would be organised at a different Auckland park on the same day, 28 February, with races up to 70km long.
A 50 percent refund on entry fees and 100 percent of bus tickets and merchandise would be offered, they said.
The Tree Council, Waitakere Ranges Protection Society, Forest & Bird and the Friends of Regional Parks thanked the organisers for cancelling event.