Challenge Wānaka 2027

What it is

Challenge Wānaka is a festival of triathlon set on Lake Wānaka, with the Southern Alps as a backdrop. The main event, the Gallagher Insurance Challenge Wānaka 100, is billed as one of the world’s most scenic middle-distance triathlons and is known for its friendly community atmosphere. It is part of the Gallagher Insurance Festival of Triathlon, which also includes an aquabike, corporate and secondary school teams, and children’s races.

What to expect

Race week schedule:

• Thursday 18 February: Puzzling World Junior and Mini Challenge, for primary school children
• Friday 19 February: Puzzling World Intermediate, Mitre 10 Mega Secondary and Adaptive Challenges
• Saturday 20 February: Gallagher Insurance Challenge Wānaka 100 and Aquabike

The course:

• Swim, 2 km: a rectangular, buoyed course in Roys Bay on the Wānaka lakefront. Water is about 15°C in February, and conditions can change quickly with the wind. The swim closes at 9.30 am.
• Bike, 80 km: rolling countryside, with a moderate climb after 7 km. The bike course closes at 1.30 pm.
• Run, 18 km: two out-and-back laps from the township along Ardmore Street and the lakeside trail to Beacon Point, with a steep climb after 7 km. The run closes at 5 pm.

Spectators get the best views at the swim start and finish line in town, and along the lakeside run, where athletes pass twice.

Who it suits

Triathletes and their supporters, families, and anyone in Wānaka on race weekend. Individual racers must be 18 or over; teams of 2 or 3 can split the legs.

Entering

Entries are through the official site. Teams can be age-group, corporate or secondary school. Local school students get subsidised entry to the junior races.

Getting there

The closest airport is Queenstown, which the organisers put at about 90 minutes by road; our route estimate is about 1 hour 10 minutes. Flights from Auckland take about 2 hours and from Christchurch about 1 hour. Transfer services run between Queenstown and Wānaka, including ones that carry bikes, or you can hire a car.

Expect road closures and slow traffic around Wānaka on race day. A car park map is published on the official site.

Where to stay

Wānaka has everything from lakeside lodges to backpackers’ hostels, and holiday homes in town and nearby. It is very busy during race week, so book well ahead.

What to bring

Sunscreen, a hat and layers. Wānaka summer days can be hot, but the weather changes quickly around the lake.

Make a trip of it

When you are not racing, Wānaka has skydiving, hiking (the classic is Roys Peak, best saved for after race day), mountain biking, wine tasting and paddleboarding. Read our things to do in Wānaka guide, and our skydiving guide. The Wānaka i-SITE is on the corner of Ardmore and Helwick Streets.