There are easier ways to celebrate a milestone birthday than a 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run in the shadow of the Southern Alps. But that’s always been the point.
On Saturday, Gallagher Insurance Challenge Wānaka marks its 20th anniversary. Two decades of one of triathlon’s most picturesque and honest races. The setting is postcard-perfect but the racing rarely is.
Athletes will dive into Lake Wānaka, ride out toward the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, and run the lakefront, a course that looks friendly until it isn’t. Those alpine winds have a habit of finding out the weak.
The Men: Three Way Chess Match
If you’re looking for a storyline, start here:
• Mike Phillips (NZL) Defending champion, three-time Ironman NZ winner, trending nicely toward the IM Pro Series opener in Taupō
• Jack Moody (NZL) 2023 winner, lethal if this comes down to a foot race. Edged Phillips at January’s Tauranga Half
• Frederic Funk (GER) The PTO world No.43 is a wildcard debutant
Phillips vs Moody has a familiar feel. Funk adds intrigue.
This isn’t just about Wānaka either. It’s a key hit-out ahead of the Ironman Pro Series opener on March 7 in Taupō, where the likes of Kristian Blummenfelt will raise the stakes further.
Around them, a strong Kiwi contingent – Brett Clifford, Scott Harpham, Tom Somerville, Robert Huisman and Ivan Abele – will look to disrupt the script on home roads.
📷 maunaapparel and becclarke_tri
The Women: New Names, Same Hard Day
The women’s field brings fresh energy…and serious pedigree.
• Lucy Byram (GBR) World No.16, five Challenge podiums, three wins, and making her Wānaka debut
• Tamara Jewett (CAN) One of the fastest runners in the sport
• Gabrielle Lumkes (USA) New found local knowledge from training in the region
• Rebecca Clarke (NZL) Elite swimmer with golden ambitions fuelled by adopted Wanaka local vibes. And two runner-up finishes here
It’s a field where the race could open up early, or be decided late on the run, as it so often is here. Twenty years in, that hasn’t changed.
Age Group: Tri NZ Suzuki Series – Abu Dhabi Calls
The half distance race doubles as the Tri NZ Suzuki Series Mid Distance Championships and a qualifier for November’s World Triathlon Multisport Championships in Abu Dhabi.
📷 Sean Beale
