• Festival moved from late March due to unforeseen operational challenges
• Event retains Oceania Paratriathlon Champs, Oceania Cup and age-group racing
• Two-race NZ elite window created with World Triathlon Cup Tauranga (Nov 22)
Rescheduled festival creates new elite & age group racing window
Triathlon New Zealand has postponed the inaugural Auckland Triathlon Festival to November due to unforeseen operational challenges.
The event, featuring the Oceania Paratriathlon Championships, an able-bodied Oceania Triathlon Cup and age group sprint racing, was originally scheduled for March 29. It will now take place on Sunday, November 15 and remain in Auckland, marking the return of top-flight triathlon to the City of Sails for the first time since 2017.
Tri NZ CEO Pete de Wet said the revised date ensures the festival can be delivered at the standard expected by athletes, partners and the wider triathlon community.
“I am deeply disappointed that we have had to arrive at the decision to postpone the Auckland Triathlon Festival and want to fully acknowledge the impact it will have on all of the festival’s stakeholders, from our elite, para and age group athletes to all our partners and suppliers,” de Wet said.
“Our team has put in a considerable amount of effort to ensure New Zealand’s first hosting of an elite level para event would be an amazing experience so I especially want to acknowledge the AusTriathlon Para team and their support crews who are most affected by this postponement.”
The timing of the announcement was coordinated so AusTriathlon CEOTim Harradine could first brief the Australian Para team following the opening round of the World Triathlon Para Series raced in Devonport, Tasmania earlier on Friday.
De Wet said Tri NZ and AusTriathlon were working collectively on the financial impact for elite and para triathletes.
All athletes currently entered in the age group race will be contacted directly with options to transfer their entry to the November 15 event or receive a full refund.
“We trust everyone impacted will appreciate this is not a decision anyone wanted to make, nor one taken lightly. We recognise the inconvenience and disappointment and thank everyone for their understanding and kindness at a situation beyond our control,” de Wet said.
“I want to thank Tim Harradine and his team at AusTriathlon for their support as we’ve navigated through this tough decision. I value the close relationship we have with AusTri and am grateful for the constructive way that they have approached this unfortunate postponement.
“I also want to commend Auckland Council Events for their support and the ongoing commitment to bringing international triathlon back to Auckland.
“The safety and experience of the triathlon community is at the forefront of this decision. Rest assured that we will ensure that the event on November 15 is one to remember.”
Speaking from Devonport, AusTriathlon CEO Tim Harradine said: “From an Australian perspective this is a disappointing outcome, and it does impact athletes, coaches and support staff who have been preparing for this race. We remain strongly supportive of the growth of Para Triathlon and view this as a temporary setback. We’ll continue working with New Zealand and World Triathlon to ensure Australian athletes are supported as they adjust to the changes.”
The new November 15 date presents an unexpected opportunity as the Auckland Triathlon Festival will now take place just one week before World Triathlon Cup Tauranga on November 22. That creates an opportunity for elite athletes travelling or returning to New Zealand to compete in two high-quality international events within a 10-day window, using Auckland as an ideal warm-up race.
For age group athletes, the revised date also aligns strongly with the domestic calendar. The Auckland race will provide a sprint distance hit out one week before the Tri NZ Suzuki Series Standard Distance Championships at the Tinman Triathlon in Tauranga.
Tri NZ is working closely with event partners and stakeholders to ensure the November festival delivers a world-class experience for athletes and spectators alike.
