The heat will be just as challenging as the competition for the eighth Iolani Cross Country Invitational.

The meet is Saturday at Kualoa Ranch, with one major change — it moved from the morning to the afternoon.

It features runners from all five Hawai'i leagues: the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, O'ahu Interscholastic Association, Maui Interscholastic League, Big Island Interscholastic Federation and Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation. Mainland teams from California, Virginia and Wisconsin are making the trip. More than 700 runners, intermediate through varsity, are expected to compete.

"We have some great teams coming over," said Iolani boys coach Jim Rubasch, who is on sabbatical leave in Wisconsin but still helped to organize the event. Taking his place this year is longtime Iolani track coach Grant Muroda.

"Bringing in Mainland team really changes the complexion of the races," Rubasch said. "We have such a small population base in Hawai'i, that when it comes time for runners to go to the Mainland for college, they don't know what they're up against. We want to be able to show the people from the Mainland we can run as well."

For the first time since 2001, the meet is moving to the afternoon, with the premier races — girls and boys varsity — at 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.

Last year the girls varsity ran at 9:30 a.m. and the boys followed at 10.

Temperatures are expected to be around 84 degrees at 3 p.m., as opposed to 78 degrees at 9 a.m. Saturday in Kane'ohe, according to the National Weather Service Web site. However, the humidity will be down to 59 percent relative humidity in the afternoon from 73 percent in the morning.

The first two years of the invitational were run in the afternoon, but changed to the morning in conjunction with a college race. When that stopped a few years ago, organizers continued the early start.

Until this year. Because of preparation time, Rubasch said it would be easier for organizers to get ready if the meet started later. And runners will now "have a lot more time for preparation. They can walk the course in that time and have more time to get ready."

The course, three miles for varsity girls and boys and junior varsity boys, and two miles for open and intermediate runners, forces runners to plan out their race.

It features a narrow pathway up a hill about 500 meters into the race, "so it makes it a strategic race because you have to get out early and establish position," Rubasch said.

The varsity course goes up the main hill two times, with most of the course on gravel and grass.

"This year it's going to be challenging, and if it's hot it's going to be physically challenging," Rubasch said.

Another feature this year will be the appearance of Olympian Alan Webb, the national high school record holder for the indoor mile (3:59.86), outdoor mile (3:53.43) and 1,500 (3:38.26). Webb, who represented the U.S. in the 1,500 in the 2004 Olympics, will speak at tomorrow's pre-meet pasta dinner at Iolani.

"It's such a huge thing for the local kids, for them to talk to him and talk to with someone with such renown," Rubasch said.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.