Top Men’s Field For 2025 Loan Market Oceanside Tauranga Half

This Saturday’s Loan Market Oceanside Tauranga Half brings a strong field of multisport athletes to the start line at Mount Maunganui’s Pilot Bay, including the defending champs.

The men’s elite race is shaping as a showdown between last year’s top two finishers – Jack Moody & Mike Phillips. Other top athletes in the mix are last year’s 4th place getter – Scott Harpham and promising Australian triathlete – Harrison Wiles

Last year’s elite men’s race produced one of the most dramatic finishes in the storied history of the event with Jack Moody outsprinting Mike Phillips down The Mall at Pilot Bay to win his first title by a mere 11 seconds. It was the first time that Moody had stepped onto the top rung of the event’s podium after being a perennial place-getter - finishing second in 2022, 2020 & 2019 and third in 2023 & 2021.

Moody starts Saturday’s elite race as favourite after a strong year in 2024 which included wins at Challenge Wanaka and Xterra Rotorua, plus a series win in the World Challenge Global Series.

Moody looks forward to being back at Mount Maunganui saying - "I am an Auckland-based long course triathlete and have been racing the Loan Market Oceanside Tauranga Half every year since 2018. I love heading down to the Mount to compete in the event.”

Moody will be wary of Mike Phillips who is one of the sports best cyclists. Phillips last won the Loan Market Oceanside Tauranga Half in 2019 and won the NZ Ironman title in 2023. In looking ahead to Saturday’s event, Phillips said - “it’s always great to start the year with the Tauranga Half event. It is a good chance to test the fitness against some good competition in an iconic location.”

This Loan Market Oceanside Tauranga Half elite women’s field has also drawn a strong field including defending champ Hannah Berry and UK triathlete – Fenella Langridge. Other strong contenders in the women’s field are Samantha Kingsford & Fiona Gallagher who have been top 5 finishers in the past, and Hannah Knighton who has stepped up into this distance over the last year following a strong career in short course triathlons.

In looking ahead to Saturday’s event, Festival Director Julia Tilley said – “we are stoked to have our defending champs back at this year’s Loan Market Oceanside Tauranga Half, as well as many of NZ’s top multisport athletes and some international competitors.”

Also on the Fulton Hogan Mount Festival programme for Saturday is an Aquabike event, and the Waitoa Mount Festival Half Marathon which has 5km, 10km and half marathon options.

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