‘Really thrilled’: Napier to feature on the world triathlon circuit

Athletes leave the water during a World Triathlon Series event in Sunderland. Photo / Getty

Napier will be the host of the New Zealand leg of the World Triathlon Cup early in the New Year.

Triathlon NZ (Tri NZ) announced on Tuesday the traditional New Zealand stop on the circuit will be in Napier from February 24-25 and will act as the showpiece of Tri NZ’s elite Triathlon Summer Series, which includes the Oceania Cup in Wānaka, the NZ Schools Championships in Tauranga, and a return to Napier for the Oceania Standard Distance Championships.

It’s part of a three-year deal with Napier City Council, similar to that which brought the New Zealand Elite Road Cycling National Championships to Napier in 2016-2019, and will enhance the city’s reputation for staging such events, exemplified by the success of IronMāori, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last week.

The event in Napier has also been upgraded by World Triathlon to include a mixed relay with Paris Olympic Games ramifications, and the agreement also includes staging the New Zealand age group sprint championships, and also the Oceania Standard Distance Championships in Napier on April 13.

Tri NZ says the events, part of the newly branded Triathlon Summer Series, mean the spectacular two-day celebration of swimming, cycling and running in February is set to cater to hundreds of age group competitors as well as the world’s finest talent, promising a timely tourism boost for Hawke’s Bay amid the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Napier has replaced New Plymouth as New Zealand’s World Cup stop for the weekend, and the event will be be headquartered at Ahuriri. It has also been brought forward from its usual mid-March time slot, making it even more attractive for Paris-focused athletes looking for a sun-soaked training/race venue to kick-start their Olympic campaigns.

Tri NZ CEO Pete De Wet said the organisation is “really thrilled” to partner with the Napier council to give New Zealand’s round of the Triathlon World Cup a new home for the next three years, and to give its age group community “an exciting new venue to race and experience”.

“Not only does Hawke’s Bay boast a strong triathlon community, it’s also great that our sport will be contributing to a region that has had some real challenges in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle,” he said.

Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said she is delighted to add World Cup Napier and the Oceania Standard Distance Championships to the city’s portfolio of major events.

Over the weekend, Robbie Williams wowed up to 50,000 in two concerts at the Mission Estate, and earlier on Tuesday, the council announced 83-year-old Sir Tom Jones will perform at McLean Park sports stadium on April 6.

The mayor said of the prospects for the triathlon: “Napier is the perfect destination for an event such as this. Our stunning natural environment, our beautiful climate, our warm and welcoming community, are all world-class reasons to visit.”

”We are really pleased to have the World Triathlon Cup coming to us, and we know that competitors, supporters and fans will all have a great experience here, both on the circuit and in their downtime,” she said.

New Zealand has hosted 16 World Triathlon Cup events since the inaugural stop in Auckland in 1995, with New Plymouth staging the last seven held here since 2014.

Former NZ representative Shanelle Barrett, awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to triathlon in June, will serve as the event/race director – as she has for the Taranaki Triathlon Festival.