The 41-year-old will line up for the more than 320km ultra endurance race from Mt Cook to Oamaru, which starts tomorrow and is scheduled to finish next Saturday.
Bell was the leading female in last year's race when she suffered a heartbreaking Achilles injury part way through stage five, forcing her to hobble to the finish line.
While she lost her lead, she was not about to give up and eventually finished the event in a remarkable display of grit and determination.
Looking back, she said she was devastated when the injury happened, but moved on relatively quickly.
"I had a few tears and it was sad, then I just pulled myself together. I just wanted to do my best to finish,'' she said.
She never expected to lead the race at any point and found herself becoming more and more focused as it progressed, despite the injury setback.
"The stage after I got the injury, I just couldn't physically run. I told myself I wasn't wimping out, it was an injury and there was no way I was pulling out so it was just get to the end.''
Her goal this time around is to finish once again.
"I would like to get to the end and be absolutely exhausted and give 100%. I would like to get to the point of exhaustion and see what it is.''
Her motivation to enter in the first place was to get back into running after an extended break of about 10 years after having children, and the fact she had just turned 40.
When she entered in 2018, she was not able to run at the time as she was recovering from surgery for neuromas on both feet.
A former New Zealand triathlon representative and semiprofessional ironman competitor who has raced in Europe and Africa as well as Australasia, she took four months off running after last year's Alps 2 Ocean Ultra to recover from the injury.
That was followed by another four-month break after winning the women's 35-plus section of the 200km Great Naseby Water Race, shaving 2hr off the former record for that category in the process.
Bell said this year's ultra would be just as difficult as that race and what she experienced last year.
"The whole thing is tough - physically, mentally and emotionally.
"It's a new race and a new start line and new people.
"For me, it's going out and doing my run and not worry about what other people are doing.''
Race director Mike Sandri said about 115 athletes would compete after a handful pulled out in the lead-up to the race.
