Challenge Wanaka Half Triathlon
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About the race
Challenge Wānaka is a multi-day triathlon festival held at Lake Wānaka, New Zealand, on 20 February 2027. The event attracts more than 2,500 participants across professional, age-group and junior fields and takes place on courses beside the lake with mountain scenery.
The main middle-distance format comprises a 2 km swim, an 80 km bike and an 18 km run. Other event options include an aqua bike and a Junior Challenge with much shorter swim, bike and run legs:
- 2 km swim / 80 km bike / 18 km run
- 2 km swim / 80 km bike (aqua bike)
- 200–150 m swim, 1–3 km bike, 250 m–2 km run (Junior Challenge)
The swim is staged in Lake Wānaka following a buoyed rectangular route in Roys Bay. The bike is a two-lap out-and-back route along the lakeside that passes Glendhu Bay and the road toward Treble Cone. The run is an out-and-back lap along the lakefront trail from Wānaka township. Average conditions given for the event include air temperature around 19°C, water temperature about 16°C and wind near 15 kph. The race offers a finishers medal, a finishers t-shirt and a swim cap for participants. The event has received recognition for sustainability as Challenge Family’s 2024 Most Eco-Friendly Race. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
