Five-time world champion Craig Alexander heads a stellar international field contesting Saturday's Auckland half-ironman.
The 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run around Auckland's waterfront and over the Harbour Bridge also doubles as the Asia Pacific championship.
Alexander has three ironman and two half-ironman world titles to his credit, and is looking to better his seventh placing at the same event last year.
"I have got into quality work much earlier and I'm in much better shape, but you have to be for the Asia-Pacific championship," the Australian said.
"The last two years, with the quality of field assembled in Auckland, you have to be in top shape to compete and I think I am this time."
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New Zealander Terenzo Bozzone, who finished third in Auckland last year, has snared the top seeding while Australians Tim Reed and Tim Berkel, and Kiwi Cameron Brown round out the top five.
The women's field is headed by former world champion Annabel Luxford, but two-time Ironman New Zealand winner Meredith Kessler and No.1 Kiwi Gina Crawford will provide top opposition.
Luxford, a former under-23 world champion, won three times in 2014 and picked up four second placings including Auckland and Abu Dhabi.
American Kessler, third last year in Auckland, was fourth in last year's half-iron world championship in August and Crawford's consistency earned her another top-10 finish in Hawaii.
