Port of Tauranga Half Ironman comes of age

The Port of Tauranga Half Ironman, the longest running triathlon of its kind in New Zealand, will come of age with its 21st birthday on Saturday 9 January 2010.

Entries for the country’s pre-eminent half ironman will open on Tuesday 7 July, organisers Sport Bay of Plenty announced today.

Individual entries sold out in hours last year and team entries filled in less than a day for the highly popular event at Mount Maunganui.

“The event has been sold out very quickly in the last three years and we expect a rush of entries again this year,” said Sport Bay of Plenty CEO, Wayne Werder.

“The race has something for everyone with more than $20,000 prizemoney for our best triathletes, selection incentives for the top age groupers, a real sense of achievement for the first timers and it is within reach of anyone in the team division.

“We have continued to work very hard on continually developing and improving the event – and of course to come to Mount Maunganui in the height of summer and race along this great beachfront and around the Mauao base track is fantastic.”

Mr Werder said long time sponsors the Port of Tauranga will be the naming sponsor for the 19th year in a row.

“It is remarkable that the event has been supported by the Port of Tauranga for so many years, and their support has played a significant part in its ongoing success.”

Sport Bay of Plenty have received advice that the event will again double as the official Triathlon New Zealand long distance championships and act as the major selection event for the world long distance championships to be held in Germany next year.

The first six finishers in each age group, if they are members of Triathlon New Zealand, will be eligible for a place in the team for the world championships.

There is also a significant discount for triathletes who enter both of the Sport Bay of Plenty events – the Tinman Triathlon on 6 December as well as the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman.

The Tinman, also celebrating its 21st birthday, is run over both sprint (750m swim, 21k bike, 5k run) and standard distance (1.5k swim 40k bike 10k run) and gives competitors a taste of the course ahead of the half ironman, while it is ideally placed as a shakedown for half ironman races in December.

Details of entry are on the official website www.halfironman.co.nz.