A top field of international elite athletes is lining up alongside a record age-group field for the 10th anniversary edition of the gruelling event.
Defending champions Gina Crawford and Dylan McNeice are seeking to secure their seventh and fourth titles respectively and the lion's share of the $80,000 prize purse.
The women's field provides competition in the form of Dutch athlete Yvonne van Vlerken, the Challenge Roth champion and former world record-holder over the 226km distance who has had more than 80 podiums in her career.
She is joined by 2015 runner-up Laura Siddall (Great Britain), Alyssa Godesky (United States) and the US-based New Zealand athlete, Anna Cleaver.
Known to his friends as the GCM (German Cycling Machine), Maik Twelsiek had the fastest bike split in Kona this year and is lining up in Wanaka in his first trip to New Zealand.
Another cycling powerhouse, Briton Joe Skipper, who holds the fourth-fastest 180km bike split of all time and also has a 2hr 50min marathon run split to his name, is also on the start line as is German Per Bittner, a quiet achiever and also a contender for the podium.
"I am excited to see such a great field lining up for Challenge Wanaka 2016,'' McNeice. said.
"There are four to five guys there who will all bring different dynamics to the race, but one thing is for sure, it looks as though I will need to pack the best bike legs of my career.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see the bike and overall race records fall this year. I think it is going to take a massive performance from the eventual winner.''
With entries closing this week, a record field of more than 1600 age-group athletes is anticipated to join the professionals over both the full (226km) and half (113km) distances, taking on the spectacular Challenge Wanaka course.
Challenge Wanaka takes place on February 20 from 7am.
Entries are open until midnight on January 23 at www.challenge-wanaka.com/enter.
