Ironman World Championships to be Taupō's biggest ever

December's Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupō will be the first held in New Zealand.

Taupō will host its biggest-ever Ironman later this year, and locals are being told to prepare for an event on a bigger scale to what they are used to.

The Ironman 70.3 World Championships on December 14 and 15 will be the first top-tier international Ironman triathlon held in New Zealand, with more than 6000 athletes from across the globe travelling to Taupō to compete.

Taupō's championship formed part of the Ironman Pro Series, meaning every participant was a professional triathlete who had qualified for the race by competing in other events.

Being a high-level event, it would attract significant global attention, said Ironman New Zealand race director Wayne Reardon.

That meant fresh challenges to the tried-and-tested course and competition structure seen in previous triathlons.

The bike and run legs of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship showcase the scenery of Taupō.

One of the biggest changes to the route was on the bike section; this year it would form a loop up State Highway 5 from Taupō towards Reporoa and down Broadlands Rd, instead of the usual out-and-back course along Broadlands Rd.

The decision to make the course a loop was made for several reasons, Reardon said.

“People are kind of saying to me ‘Why can’t we use the [usual] Ironman course?’ but this is not just an ordinary event.”

“It’s a World Championship event so it needs to be upscaled a bit, it needs to look different.”

“It’s also livestreamed around the world as well, so the world is watching us, we’ve picked what we think is a nicer course for when people are looking at it.”

Athletes will race along one lane of the road, with the other reserved for logistics including resident access and ambulances.

The extra lane will also be used by film crews from the US, who will record the action from motorbikes for the livestream of the event.

One of the other major differences with this year’s Ironman was the fact it was a weekend-long event, rather than a single day.

This was due to the sheer number of athletes; the women’s event will take place on Saturday and the men’s on Sunday.

Swimmers will start their Ironman triathlon in heats for the World Championships. Photo / Graeme Murray

There would also be a staggered start in the swimming race, with the last competitors entering the water at least an hour and a half after the first ones.

The staggered approach meant there would not be dangerous numbers of runners or bikes on the road at any one time, said Reardon.

“Especially on the Sunday when the men’s race is on, that’s just over 4000 athletes on the road at the same time, which would be near impossible for anyone to move around.”

There would be plenty of opportunities for locals to watch the action; the public would be encouraged to line the streets as usual for the swimming and running legs, and there would be screens in the CBD to view the whole thing.

“We encourage as many people to stay in town as we can, along the lakefront is perfect as it’s elevated for viewing the swim, and it’s a good spot for the run.”

All three sections of the course were chosen to showcase Taupō, Reardon said, with runners and swimmers framed by the lake and mountains, and cyclists riding over the Waikato River and through a landscape of rolling hills.

Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said the event would show Taupō's beauty as well as its heavyweight status in hosting major events.

“Having already hosted Ironman New Zealand and Ironman 70.3 Taupō events; we are not only able to showcase our beautiful scenery, but we know how to welcome you with our true Kiwi spirit, while we support you and your families as you train for this amazing world championship event.”

Milly Fullick is a journalist based in Taupō. She joined the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald team in 2022.