A mountain biker suffered a cardiac arrest and died while taking part in the Nzo Moonride in the Whakarewarewa Forest at the weekend.
St John Ambulance was called to the trail about 5.30pm on Saturday.
A St John Ambulance northern communications spokesman said the person suffered a cardiac arrest while on the trail.
The person was dead when ambulance staff arrived. A spokesman from the event confirmed the person had died but did not want to comment further.