Challenge Wanaka poised for exciting new era
11 April 2018
New Zealand’s largest triathlon festival, Challenge Wanaka, is poised to enter an exciting new era with organisers
focused on building the half distance triathlon and new Aquabike races into world-class international events.
This decision to cut the elite field from the full 226 kilometre event in February to focus on the 113 kilometre race in
2018 proved very successful, attracting the strongest field ever seen in New Zealand for a half distance event that
included multiple world champion Javier Gomez.
“The Challenge Wanaka Half has grown over the eight years it has been running to become our main event that this year
saw the best field of professional athletes ever assembled for a middle distance race in New Zealand,” Race Director
Bill Roxburgh said.
“So we want to put our time and energy into the Challenge Wanaka Half and Aqua Bike to make them internationally
recognised events with a real focus on the age group athletes, giving them the best quality time possible while they are
in Wanaka.”
This means the full long distance event will be cut from the Challenge Wanaka programme which as well as allowing
organisers to focus on building the half, aqua and youth events will mean less impact on the town’s infrastructure with
road closures ending earlier.
Although some of the best in the world have competed in the full distance race, including multiple world champion Chris
McCormack (AUS) and former world record holder, Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED), age group athletes were harder to attract in
large numbers to the world’s most scenic triathlon.
The Challenge Wanaka Half has also been the New Zealand Middle Distance National Triathlon Championships twice and the
Aquabike event was also a National Championships event this year, giving eligible competitors the opportunity to qualify
for a spot in both events at the ITU World Championships. It is working with Triathlon New Zealand to repeat its
national championship status, while alternating with races in the North Island.
The triathlon festival also features Puzzling World Junior Challenge Wanaka which features 1,000 budding triathletes
aged from five to 12 and the Mitre 10 Secondary Schools event.
Challenge Wanaka is internationally recognised as the world’s most scenic triathlon and injects $4 million into the
local economy while profiling Wanaka throughout New Zealand and overseas. Its impact on the local community was
recognised when it won the Ignite People’s Choice award at the Wanaka Business awards last year.
Roxburgh said numbers at Wanaka in the full long distance event have been following a worldwide trend of decline over
the past two years which has meant organisers felt they could not give competitors, especially those finishing later,
the experience they deserve.
“The decision to pull the full distance event was not made easily by the Trustees,” Roxburgh said. “Most have competed
in the event themselves, but they know for the continued growth of our Junior Challenge, Secondary schools, Challenge
Wanaka Half and Aquabike events that we need to focus on running those events to a world-class level.”
“We rely heavily on volunteers and the time involved to run the full distance event is a huge ask for a small community
like Wanaka which has a permanent population of approximately 6,000. Shorter time frames will mean we can put all our
effort and energy into making the whole festival an amazing experience not just for the competitors, but for those
working on the event and for the local community as well; it will be amazing, it’s definitely an exciting new era for
the event.”
The 2019 Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival will take place on Saturday 16 February.
ENDS