Triathlon: Auckland City to host four-day world event

New Zealand's Bevan Docherty will have the opportunity to add an ITU Auckland medal to his ITU win in Sydney. Photo / Supplied

The biggest race in the triathlon calendar outside the Olympics is coming to a shed near you.

The ITU world championship finale will be raced from Auckland's Queens Wharf in October 2012.

Just how Queens Wharf will look is still open to debate, with the faction pulling for a glitzy new cruise ship terminal being run down in the home straight by those wanting the restoration of the two existing tin sheds.

Triathlon New Zealand are happy to work with either scenario. Chief executive Dave Beeche said the ITU, triathlon's world governing body, considers the wharf a world-class venue for its showpiece event.

The four-day festival that incorporates an aquathlon, corporate, age-group and elite triathlons, will see the swim leg take place around the wharf. The elite men and women will run and bike through the heart of the CBD, while the age-group bike leg will stretch to St Heliers and back, and the run leg is around the Viaduct Basin.

Beeche said at this stage, the event was a one-off, but his organisation is talking to ITU about making Auckland a permanent stop on the eight-race world championship calendar.

The ITU is in the second year of its new structure, which saw a single-event world championship dropped in favour of an eight-race programme culminating in a finale, which rotates among venues, worth double points.

With 2012 an Olympic year, the ITU wanted to move its marquee race until later in the year, bringing Southern Hemisphere venues into calculations. Auckland's bid beat out competition from Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Beeche said there were some major contributing factors why the Auckland bid swayed the ITU.

"We enjoy continued success not only at an elite level, but on a participation level as well. We're New Zealand's fastest-growing sport," Beeche said. "The second element would be the venue. The ITU believes Queens Wharf is an absolutely world-class venue in terms of hosting a triathlon. The sport is right in the heart of the city."

The event is budgeted to cost $3.7 million, with Auckland city stumping up $1 million, the Government's Major Events Development Fund $850,000 and Sparc $150,000.

In one of those nebulous figures that organisers tend to pull out for such occasions, it is estimated the economic benefits to the city will exceed $30 million, with 5000 visitors and a television audience upwards of 13 million.

Bevan Docherty said the development was an exciting time for the sport. "We've got a strong history obviously, with Hamish [Carter] winning gold and with my two Olympic medals.

"Plus, it's going to be a downtown street circuit in the city, which will be great for athletes and spectators."

The event is adding to Auckland's portfolio of major sporting events, with the pointy end of the Rugby World Cup in the city next year, the Volvo Ocean Race in 2012 and the BMX world champs the following year.

IT'S ALL GO

*ITU finale will be hosted on Auckland's Queens Wharf in 2012.
*Triathlon NZ hopeful Auckland can become a permanent stop in the ITU's eight-race programme.

*The elite men's and women's bike and run legs will go through the heart of the CBD.

*Auckland City and the Government have contributed $2m to the $3.7m event.

*More than 13m television viewers and 5000 visitors are expected to deliver $30m of economic benefits to the city.