Video: Get set for the World Triathlon Cup Napier

by Andrew Austin, Editor
Friday, Feb 23, 2024 6:32 PM

Video from Napier City Council

Napier will be a hive of activity as an elite group of athletes take part in the World Triathlon Cup and Age Group World Champs this weekend.

The 2024 Napier World Triathlon Cup is a sprint distance triathlon - 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run. The event will be held at Perfume Point and the surrounding area of Napier. The 2024 event will be part of a Triathlon Festival with the NZ Sprint Distance Championships. The event will be an opportunity for athletes to gain selection to the Paris Olympics and will feature star New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde. The events will also be streamed live on TVNZ+.

Napier City Council Event Manager Kevin Murphy told Hawke’s Bay App today: “It's a great opportunity to host a World Champ event. It's part of their World Cup series, which goes around the world. It's not their World Series as in the top tier, but it's the next tier down, and it's been in New Plymouth for over 10 years. And they decided they wanted to change and we've been able to facilitate and make it happen for them.”

“It's one of the last times that people have got the opportunity to compete and qualify for the Olympics. So we've just had a chat to Hayden Wilde, the New Zealand top tri guy, and there's a splattering of athletes from around the world. There's quite a good mix.”

Murphy said the weekend was a good boost for Napier, coming after last weekend’s successful Art Deco Weekend.

“It's great to see another weekend where it's busy, it's a fairly busy weekend with some other things happening as well. So it just adds another key event to the calendar, and it just adds to the summer vibe of event activity that drives domestic tourism.”

Apart from a number of conferences on, the Night Fiesta also kicks off tonight.

“Accommodation is packed. I think there's not much left in the city.”

“We just keep chasing different opportunities, and this one was fortunate how it played out, but it was really a good opportunity for the city. But the other activity that we try and attract is just continuous, so I'm talking to promoters and different event opportunities all the time.”

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵

🏊‍♂️ The main event area will be located in Spriggs Park, Hardinge Road

🚴‍♂️ Athletes will begin with a swim at Ahuriri beach before heading off on a four-lap cycle circuit to Napier Port and back around Ahuriri, and finishing with a 5km run.

🏃Age Group transition will be located in half of the carpark near the old Hot Chick building

🏃‍♀️Elite transition will be located on Hardinge Road between Stafford Street and Bridge Street

The programme

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟰:

12:45pm: Oceania Junior (U19) Championship – Women

2:30pm: Oceania Junior (U19) Championship – Men

4:15pm: World Triathlon Cup Napier – Elite women

6:15pm: World Triathlon Cup Napier – Elite men

𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟱:

8am – Tri NZ SuzukI Series Age Group Sprint Championships – Men (8am), women (8:05am), teams (8:10am)

10:30am: Oceania Junior (U19) Mixed Relay Championships

12:30pm: World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series Napier (Elite)