Taupō District Council’s events and venues manager Steve Giles says next month’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships cements Taupō’s reputation as the events capital of New Zealand.
Taupō District Council’s events and venues manager Steve Giles says next month’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships cements Taupō’s reputation as the events capital of New Zealand.
Some 3500 volunteers, or roughly 10% of Taupō's resident population, will be volunteers at December’s 2024 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships.
The December 14-15 event will draw 6500 athletes from 119 countries, each with an anticipated two supporters each. The local spend they will drive is expected to be in the region of $20 million, which isn’t far off Taupō's $34 million annual income from events.
“This is going to be huge for us,” said Taupō District Council’s events and venues manager Steve Giles.
“Think of the annual Ironman New Zealand and triple it.
“There are some major differences between the annual NZ Ironman event and this one. The biggest is that this is a truly global event, with 98% of athletes being international as opposed to around 50% in the New Zealand event. They’re also likely to stay in the region longer.
“Another difference is that there are two days of racing set down for the December event. Women will race on the Saturday and men on the Sunday … that’s being done around safety of the athletes, given the numbers.”
Giles is the man juggling the many components of what will be one of the country’s biggest international events. He’s no ingénue at this game, having had years of top events planning behind him and steered the successful 2024 V8 Supercars event held earlier this year at Taupō's International Motorsport Park. That, too, brought millions into the local economy and had the place heaving.
The bike and run legs of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship showcase the scenery of Taupō.
“These two events are the biggest Taupō has hosted in recent times.”
Wayne Reardon, longtime race director of Ironman NZ and the upcoming event, is excited it’s being held here.
“The world championship course will go beyond everything athletes know and love about Ironman events in Taupō, with every aspect of the course elevated to a world championship level.”
December’s athletes will do a 1.9km swim from the Taupō Yacht Club, along the shoreline and exiting on the shore opposite Kaimanawa Reserve, then a 90km single loop bike ride taking in the best of Taupō's scenic countryside, and end with a 21.1km run that includes two laps along the lakefront before finishing on a red-carpeted site in the northern lane of Tongariro St.
Giles said the decision to finish on the road itself rather than in the domain was made because of the numbers involved and the requirement for a direct line of sight to the finish line.
Statistics aside, the challenge an event on this scale poses to residents is not lost on him. Giles and his team are putting massive effort into engaging with the community, providing reassurance that every effort is being made to minimise disruption.
There will, of course, be road closures, pressure on local businesses and restrictions on movement around town for the two days of competition. Most locals will work around those issues, while others will view it as an opportunity to get out of town and rent their homes out to visitors. Whichever way you look at it, the impact on Taupō and the wider region will be huge.
“We want to minimise disruption, and where people affected by road closures need to move around – such as those working or volunteering at the event – our staff will do what they can to help.”
Engagement with the community has taken other forms as well.
A ‘With Love from Taupō’ initiative, unique to this event, has been launched. It sees youngsters from the region’s primary and intermediate schools write letters to the athletes describing what they love best about their hometown. Every athlete taking part will get one.
The cultural aspect is also a big draw card for athletes and their supporters.
Giles said Taupō has partnered with Ngāti Tūwharetoa for the annual Ironman event since 1999 and has extended that engagement for the global event to include other local iwi, Ngāti Tahu and Ngāti Whaoa, for the expanded bike course. A pōwhiri on December 12 to welcome athletes will be led by Ngāti Tūwharetoa, who will also formally close the event.
“By partnering with local iwi we are celebrating the spirit of tuituia – or binding together,” he said. “We bring a strong cultural dynamic to this event … it gives New Zealand an opportunity to showcase our uniqueness.”
Coming to the southern hemisphere is a rarity for the worlds. Last year’s VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships was held in Finland, and next year it goes to Spain.
