Taking place the first week in March, Ironman New Zealand is the second Ironman of the year (after Ironman Malaysia, which usually takes place one week prior) and the longest running international Ironman in the world. (The Ironman World Championships in Hawaii is the longest running Ironman event in the world and Ironman Canada is the oldest Ironman event in North America).

Ironman New Zealand is a very popular race, not only due to the early season race date, but also for the location. New Zealand is known for it's clean, beautiful land filled with vast green expanses. Taupo, where the race takes place, is only a 45-minute flight (3-4 hour drive) from Auckland, and is one of the more popular resort destinations in the country, known for it's scenic beauty. On top of that, the kiwis have a tremendous amount of respect for triathletes and go to great lengths to put on a safe, enjoyable race. Though Taupo's population is only 20,000, a full 10% of the residents usually volunteer for the race in some capacity.

For this reason, Ironman New Zealand attracts the second largest field of international athletes in the world, only eclipsed by the Ironman World Championships. The course is very athlete friendly. The swim is in crystal-clear fresh water, the bike ride is on quiet, tree-lined roads and the run is relatively flat with thousands of supporters along the route.

Like all Ironman races, the distances are:
SWIM: 2.4 miles
BIKE: 112 miles
RUN: 26.2 miles

Taupo temperatures in early March are fairly moderate. Though mornings are often cool, afternoon highs are usually in the mid-70s. In the past, it has rained during the event so be prepared in case of a downpour.

SWIM
distance: 2.4 miles
The swim takes place in Lake Taupo, a crystal clear lake on the edge of town. It is a mass start in deep water (everybody treads water until the gun goes off). Water temperatures are normally around 64 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius) so wetsuits are highly recommended.

BIKE
distance: 112 miles
The bike is a two loop course through the scenic countryside of New Zealand. The ride starts with a brief climb (approximately 5 miles long with 300 feet elevation gain). However, after leaving the town of Taupo, the ride gets relatively flat with only a few rolling hills. Total elevation gain for the entire ride is less than 3000 feet (1000 meters).

RUN
distance: 26.2 miles
The run is a 13.1 mile out and back course that athletes will complete two times before crossing the finish line. Though there are a few rollers as runners follow the shores of Lake Taupo, there is nothing too challenging.

IM New Zealand bike elevation gain

QUALIFYING SLOTS
There are 80 slots available for the Ironman World Championships

ENTRY FEE
Costs are usually $710 NZD for New Zealand athletes and $720 NZD (approx. $550) for international athletes.

LOCAL BIKE SHOP
The main local bike shop is the Avanti Service Centre in the Great Lake Center (which, conveniently, is usually the venue for the race expo). If that's too busy, check out the Corner Shop (cornershop.co.nz) in downtown Taupo.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
2008 Winners
Male: Cameron Brown
Overall Time: 8:24:49 (swim: 47:18, bike: 4:43:15, run: 2:49:36)
Female: Joanna Lawn
Overall Time: 9:16:00 (swim: 49:56, bike: 5:07:48, run: 3:13:05)

2007 Winners
Male: Cameron Brown
Overall Time: 8:26:33 (swim: 47:53, bike: 4:43:08, run: 2:51:10)
Female: Joanna Lawn
Overall Time: 9:20:02 (swim: 50:30, bike: 5:07:56, run: 3:16:36)