The Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka Festival team has announced that the Challenge Half and Garth Barfoot Aquabike will return to the traditional bike course through Lake Wānaka township.
The original course in Wanaka, New Zealand, takes in Lake Hāwea and loops back around by Wānaka airport and Mount Barker.
The organisers note… ‘After careful consideration of health and safety risks around the one lane bridge on the 2021 course and feedback from athletes, the Challenge Wanaka Charitable Trust Board and team believe that this will be a positive addition to the 2022 Saturday race day.’
The 16th Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka Festival will be held from the February 17-19, 2022, at Glendhu Bay Station in Lake Wānaka. The event is organised by the Challenge Wanaka Charitable Trust and incorporates events to suit a range of abilities and ages.
Thursday, Feb 17, 2022
Puzzling World Intermediate Challenge
Challenge Wanaka Adaptive Triathlon
Mitre10 Secondary Schools Triathlon at Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka
Bay to Bay Swim
Friday, Feb 18, 2022
Puzzling World Junior Triathlon at Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka
Saturday, Feb 19, 2022
Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka Half
Garth Barfoot Aquabike at Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka – also the Tri NZ Suzuki Aquabike Nationals and the Qualifying event for the World Championships in Townsville, Australia 2022.
The Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka Festival is billed as ‘the world’s most scenic middle distance triathlon’. It is set against the backdrop of the Te Wahipounanmu World Heritage Area in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
“We are sure a return to the traditional bike course will make a lot of people very happy and give the people of Wānaka and Hāwea back some of that epic race day atmosphere,” said Bill Roxburgh, Integrity Homes Challenge Wanaka Race Director.
“It also means we do not have to cap entries for the race, as there will be more room for cyclists to spread out along the course.
“We are looking at having events in Wānaka on the Friday night as well, to increase our presence in town for the community. Over the next few months we will be working on the viability of this and liaising with local businesses and community groups to try and make that happen.”
The bike course will leave transition at Glendhu Bay Station and cyclists will ride into and through Wānaka township, along to Lake Hāwea and back around to the Red Bridge at Luggate. Ridres then return, up past the airport, turning onto Mount Barker Road and then down McDougall Street back into Wānaka and back through to Glendhu Bay Station.
The run course will also see a change, with the run along the Motatapu Road being removed and athletes running two laps of the Bike Glendhu course. Runners will make their way up in the same direction as cyclists do normally on these trails, so they can benefit from the shade the forest provides as they climb.
The elevation of the new run course will be mapped shortly, but is approximately 290m, which is similar to the 2021 elevation. The 2019 course elevation was 260m. The two-lap course will also mean that competitors will pass back through the finish line and expo area after their first lap to give their supporters a chance to cheer them on.
