IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand: Racing the 70.3 World Championship

Nothing screams destination race like Taupō, New Zealand. A beautiful lake swim through crystal clear water, cycling through the idyllic and lush New Zealand farmland, and a waterfront run with mountain views.

And it’s not just Taupō that makes this such a great destination race. In addition to racing, New Zealand is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Spend time here exploring more of the North Island, from thermal activity, to glow worms, to hiking on volcanoes. Or hop over to the South Island to experience the mystique of Fiordland and get an adrenaline rush in Queenstown.

IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand is held in Taupō annually and in December 2024 it was also the venue for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. I was fortunate enough to get one of the rolldown slots for the World Championship race and I outline my experience below. I also help point out the differences between the championship course and the annual racecourse.

Table of Contents

Getting to Taupō

Taupō is a charming lake town seated on the north end of Lake Taupō, centered on New Zealand’s North Island. International travelers will likely arrive in New Zealand via the international airport in Auckland and then either take a 1 hour flight to Taupō or make the 3.5 hour drive.

Good to Know: Jetstar will begin offering flights from Sydney and the Gold Coast to Hamilton in June 2025. Hamilton is located halfway between Auckland and Taupō.

Our journey from our home in Maryland to New Zealand was a full 24-hour adventure. We flew from Baltimore to Houston, and then onwards to Auckland for a 15-hour, overnight flight. Surprisingly enough we got a decent amount of sleep before landing in the morning, which helped us adjust to the dramatic time change quicker.

We opted to drive from Auckland to Taupō. Part of the drive was through lush New Zealand farmland, seeing cow pastures along rolling green hills with distant mountains. This was a pretty good introduction into what the views would be like along the bike course.

The World Championship race took place in mid-December, at the start of New Zealand’s summer. Average temperatures throughout race week were a high of 21°C (70°F), with mostly sunny skies. Unfortunately for the athletes however, race weekend was abnormally hot, with a high of 26.6°C (80°F). The sun here was also scorching, and sunscreen was a necessity to survive even just walking through town. With the past few weeks of my training having been in Maryland winter, I was a bit nervous about racing in hotter-than-expected summer weather.

Good to Know: The annual race occurs in March, which experiences very similar temperatures. The average high in March is 21°C (70°F) and the average low is 9°C (49°F).

Pre-Race Experience

We arrived in Taupō 4 days before the men’s race (for the World Championships, there are two 70.3 races, one for men and one for women). That gave me plenty of time to check in, reassemble my bike, go for a few practice swims in Lake Taupō, and enjoy a preview of the bike and run courses. Most importantly, I had plenty of time to adjust to the time change!

The coolest part of the whole race experience was getting to see the town swarmed with thousands of the best triathletes in the world. I counted more cyclists on the roads than cars, and sidewalks were packed with runners. The energy here was electric, and each passing day I got more and more excited for my own time to shine.

For the Championship race, women raced on Saturday, and the men had the course on Sunday. That gave me the chance to watch the pro women race through town.

Getting to watch pro triathletes with my own eyes, athletes who I’ve seen race on TV and some of whom raced in the Olympics earlier that year, was incredible. Here I was, all the way in New Zealand, watching the best in the world run the most scenic course I’ve ever seen, all while having the support of thousands of spectators. Seeing this and their insanely fast finishing times, which would blow my own time out of the water, only energized me more.

Tomorrow I will be in their shoes.

Good to Know: For the annual race the men and women all race on the same day.

IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand Course Experience

The Swim: 1.9 km (1.2 miles)

I finally made it. The start line of my first World Championship, just a few feet away. I was nervous, but not nearly as much as at my first ever IRONMAN 70.3, which was just earlier this year. I was much more prepared for this race, with hundreds of hours of training logged and two 70.3 race finishes (Eagleman and Wisconsin) under my belt. I had worked hard this year, and now it was time to put it all out there.

The official race start was at 7:00 am, with the pro men leading the day. The swim was a rolling start, with 8 athletes starting every 5 seconds. Each age group also had their time block, with the race officials keeping strictly to the posted schedule. I was the second to last age group of the day, so I’d be starting at 9:10 am, a little over 2 hours after the pros.

At 9:00 am I lined up near the back of my age group, as I knew mostly everyone here was a better swimmer than I was. My goal was to stay on their feet and help them carry me through the swim, before taking off on the bike.

The wave before me sprinted into the water, and then the only thing that stood between me and beautiful Lake Taupō was the countdown. The clock beeped, and we ran into the water.

The swim itself was beautiful and the perfect start to the day. The water was a crystal-clear blue, with clear visibility to the bottom of the lake and other swimmers the entire time. The swim course formed a large U-shape in the water, meaning we’d actually come out of the water further up the shore than where we started.

Good to Know: The average water temperature for the annual race is 18°C (65°F), which was similar to the championship race.

The group of guys I started with took off instantly, which meant I was pretty much alone in the water for the bulk of the swim. My swim was unusually peaceful, and I took a few moments along the way to just enjoy where I was in that moment. I definitely wasn’t taking it easy, but mentally I was calm and content.

Good to Know: The swim for the World Championship course was point to point, starting at the Lake Taupo Yacht Club and ending near the Kaimanawa Reserve, where transition is located. For the annual race, the swim is a loop that starts and ends near the Kaimanawa Reserve, making the swim more spectator friendly.

T1

I hopped out of the water right near the pace I was shooting for and made the long run into transition. From the water’s edge, racers have to run up a short hill, then over a walkway that spans the main road. Let me tell you, running uphill after swimming for over 30 minutes would end up being one of the hardest parts of the day.

In transition I grabbed my gear bag, quickly changed out of my wetsuit and into my bike gear, before making my way to my bike.

Good to Know: Transition for both the World Championship race and the annual race is located at Kaimanawa Reserve.

The Bike: 90 km (56 Miles)

In excitement, I started the bike way too fast. The first segment is a long, gradual climb out of town and into the surrounding countryside. I was passing people left and right and looking around I could tell many of these guys were more experienced than I was. Deep down I knew it was probably a mistake, but I was just raring to go. I felt strong and I wanted to hit the ambitious goals I set for myself.

At the base of an early, steep climb was a man waving a giant American flag blasting Mötley Crüe from a speaker. I blame him for motivating me a little too much to push it up that hill!

The championship bike course can be described as rolling, with big climbs at both the start and end of the course. The middle half is essentially flat, which was great for making up any lost time on the early ascents. The entire way I got to enjoy views of expansive farmland and lush green foothills. It was like riding through The Shire from Lord of the Rings.

I had a tailwind heading out on the flats, so my average speed was faster than I planned. I felt awesome and hammered it at a few key points, and doing the math in my head I could tell that I was right where I needed to be to hit my splits.

On the way back into town I could tell that I let my excitement get the best of me. With my deceptively fast time on the way out, I didn’t realize how much strength I was using up in my legs. Now I had to face the headwind on tired legs with still 20 miles to go. The final climb sucked everything out of me, and it became a mental battle to just keep pedaling. I blew up with less than 10 miles to transition, but I stayed on that bike and kept inching forward until I made it back into town.

Good to Know: The annual bike course is an out and back along the same primary road. The championship course is a loop, but the first 10 km (6 miles) and the last 34 km (21 miles) of the championship course are the same as the annual course. Both give you an opportunity to enjoy the rolling hills and farmland.

T2

I coasted back into town, made it to the bike dismount line, took that first step off the bike, and immediately felt my left quad lock up. It was the worst muscle cramp I’ve ever felt. I could barely bend my leg as any movement would activate the muscle, sending my quad into a gnarly spasm. I carefully walked my bike into transition, grabbed my gear bag, and fell into a chair to look at my leg. I could see my muscle pulsing, and massaging it offered little help.

I sat in transition for a good 10 minutes problem solving. I could walk the entire half marathon and still finish within the cutoff. I knew worst case, I would still cross that finish line. But I wanted to run. I didn’t spend countless hours perfecting my run for nothing. Despite the pain, I convinced myself I could push through it.

I knew competitively that my race was over. Knowing I was going to be out on that run course for a while with no shade, I reapplied sunscreen, ate an energy bar, and hobbled out to the road.

Good to Know: Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions, from cooler than usually temperatures to hotter than usually temperatures. And keep in mind that the sun in Taupo is intense during New Zealand’s summer; be prepared to reapply sunscreen despite the air temperature.

The Run: 21.1 km (13.1 miles)

I found early on that I could start jogging with no issue, surprisingly at my goal pace! I could only hold it for about half a mile before locking up again, but I could work with this. Unexpectedly, my run became a really long interval workout. I’d run for a while, stop to massage my leg or fuel up at an aid station, and get going again.

With my run being my strong suit, it was a real gut punch not being able to perform to the level I trained at. I was looking forward to finishing the half marathon within a time of 1 hour 30 minutes, but today it was a bit under 2 hours. However, it’s unusual to get the “perfect race” in an IRONMAN 70.3 due to the duration and challenging nature of the race. The real highlight is how you get over the unexpected hurdles that get thrown your way. If anything, I just got more time to enjoy the scenic views along the run course!

The run course is a 2 loop path along the waterfront and through town. The lake shimmered a vibrant blue in the midday sun, and looking across the lake you could spot Mount Tongariro and Mount Ruapehu. The course also winded through the main streets of town, which were consistently packed with spectators cheering you on. This was an excellent spectator-friendly course, as they could sit and enjoy a meal at one of dozens of cafes and watch athletes pass right in front of them.

Soon I rounded the final bend and could see the finishing chute in the distance. Everything magically lightened up a bit in my legs. I kicked my pace into high gear and booked it towards the finish line. I figured if my leg cramped up one final time, I’d force myself to run through it, as I wanted to cross that finish line strong.

With a long-carpeted stretch, hundreds of cheering spectators on either side, a magnificent finish arch, and a jumbotron, this was the most high-energy finish I’ve ever had in a race. I crossed that line with a smile on my face, officially a World Championship finisher.

Good to Know: The run course for the championship race and the annual race are mostly the same. There are some slight differences with exactly where turnarounds occur, and the finishing chute is also different. The finishing chute for the championship course is right on Tongariro Street, whereas the finishing chute for the annual course is just off of Tongariro Street in Tongariro Domain.

Ironman Village

The Ironman Village for both the Championship race and the annual race is located in Tongariro Domain, a grassy park area also called North Domain. This is where family members can meet athletes after the race.

The Ironman Village also houses the Ironman Store, the Expo (tents for 3^rd party vendors), bike support, and packet pick up.

IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand? Feeling inspired. Head over to the official IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand website to get race dates, see the athlete guide, and register for the race.

Protecting New Zealand’s Ecosystem

To help prevent the spread of diseases that might impact its ecosystem do not bring any products that contain honey to New Zealand. This includes common products used by triathletes like Honey Stingers.

In addition, if you swam in a lake or river in the 30 days prior to arriving in New Zealand then you must follow the proper clean and dry procedures. See the athlete guide for more details.

Bike Transport

We purchased the Triathlon Aero Easyfit bike box from Bike Box Alan. It is a well-designed hard shell bike box where, for some bike sizes, you only have to remove the wheels and pedals. That means you don’t have to mess with the aero bars, headset, or seat post. It was a snug fit and the only other thing we removed was the rear derailleur in order to get the fit just right.

We had no problem bringing this on as oversized checked luggage on a variety of flights to and from New Zealand, as well as domestic flights within New Zealand. We flew on United Airlines and Air New Zealand, and all of our flights were jet aircraft. Check with your airline regarding the pricing of oversized luggage, as well as if you can take a bike box on smaller turbo-prop aircraft if you’ll be flying on one of those.

Things to Do in Taupō

We have now visited Taupō three times. For things to do in Taupō, plus where to eat, where to stay, check out our detailed guide ↓

Taupo, New Zealand

20 Amazing Things to Do in Taupō

Best things to do in Taupō, plus where to stay, where to eat, and more.

Day Trips from Taupō

If you plan to stay in Taupō after the race, here are a few day trip ideas.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing. You might want to take a day or two to let your legs recover, but New Zealand’s best day hike is just down the road. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a 19.4 km (12.1 miles) point-to-point hike that crosses the volcanic terrain of Tongariro National Park.

Hobbiton. Hobbiton is a movie filming set for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy. It’s an hour and a half from Taupō by car and can be visited on the drive to Auckland.

Glowworms and Black Water Rafting. For one of New Zealand’s most unique experiences, go black water rafting. Black water rafting is tubing down underground rivers in the semi-darkness and can also include hiking, jumping off of waterfalls, army crawling through tunnels and openings. On this experience, you’ll see lots of glowworms. You can also see glowworms without the rafting experience at the Waitomo Glowworm caves.

Rotor ua. Rotorua is a short drive from Taupō. Relax in natural hot springs (a great idea right after race day!), see the Redwood forests, go zorbing, and see the best geothermal activity in New Zealand.

We have visited New Zealand three times, spending several months here, and have a wealth of information on both the North and South Islands, which you can see in our New Zealand Travel Guide.

New Zealand Travel Guide

See all of our articles

If you have any questions about racing IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand, or if you want to share your experience, let us know in the comment section below.

More Information about New Zealand

We have TONS more information about New Zealand in our New Zealand Travel Guide, including Auckland, Queenstown, Wanaka, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Franz Josef, Christchurch, Wellington, and the Milford Sound.

Here is more information for your trip to New Zealand, plus links to a few more triathlon guides.