Multisport: Prestigious lake titles on line

The entrants get underway at the beginning of the sprint triathlon last year. Photo / Ben Fraser

The King and Queen of the Lake titles will go up for grabs when the Ecomist Blue Lake Multisport Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The annual festival - hosted by the Rotorua Association of Triathletes and Multisport (RATs) - will be held tomorrow and Sunday at Tikitapu (Blue Lake).

Event director Nicola Muggeridge said they had received an encouraging number of entries this year for their anniversary event.

"We have had 280 online entries, which is up by about 100 entries on last year," she said.

"And our kids triathlon seems to be a huge growth area. We already have 80 online entries, and only had 70 on the day last year."

The festival features five events including an aquathon (5.5km run and 800m swim), a kids triathlon, an open water swim (750m and 2km options), sprint triathlon, and 5.5km fun run/walk.

"The open water swim is definitely one of the biggest events, in terms of entries this year. We seem to attract swimming teams from as far away as Auckland and New Plymouth."

She said the prestigious King and Queen of the Lake titles would be decided according to combined times in the aquathon, 2km open water swim, and sprint triathlon.

Last year's King and Queen champions, Cameron Todd (Taupo) and Rebecca Clarke (Auckland), have not signed up yet but could be late entries, Muggeridge said.

The King and Queen of the Lake will both get $500 and a greenstone pendant donated by Mountain Jade.

Muggeridge said the club was rapt to reach 30 years, with the Blue Lake Multisport Festival, which also doubled as its annual fundraiser.

"It is huge. I mean triathlon has only been a sport here in New Zealand for 35 to 40 years."

Muggeridge thanked all the sponsors for helping with prizes and putting on the event this year.

The details:

* Events at the Blue Lake Multisport Festival:

* Aquathon, tomorrow 8.30am

* Kids Triathlon, tomorrow 11am

* Rotorua Open Water Swim, tomorrow 5pm

* Sprint Triathlon, Sunday 8.30am

* 5.5km Forest Fun Run/Walk, Sunday 8.30am