For the second year Taupo Motorsport Park will play host this weekend not to the roar of petrol powered V8 engines but to the more eco-friendly foot and pedal powered athletes in the Contact National Duathlon Championships.

Despite cool race day conditions last year, the venue is proving popular with participants, so much so that numbers are up on last year’s overall entries with close to 500 lining up in various categories from National Schools to age group National Champs events in individual and team races.

Tri NZ Event Manager Kate Blood says the venue is a perfect one.

“The response last year was incredible in regards the venue; athletes are never far from the heart of the event with the run and bike both taking in the motorsport circuit and for the bike, some of the nearby roads.

“Riding on the motorsport circuit itself brings its own excitement on the smooth tarmac with cambered corners making for fast and safe riding while spectators can see much of the action from the grandstand on top of the garages that instead of providing shelter for cars and crews, provide a great hideaway for athletes, teams and supporters to base themselves in for the day.”

Athletes of all ages will line up on Sunday, from as young as ten year old David Barker from Gisborne Intermediate School in the Year 7 Sprint to Ray Bennett from Christchurch who will line up in the men’s standard distance championship in the 75 to 79 year age category.

Race distances are varied, with the youngest competitors racing over a 2km run, 7km cycle and 1km run course while the standard distance offers the challenge of a 10km run, 40km cycle and a 5km run to national honours.

And the quality of the elite races will be high, in particular in the women’s races; with 2011 World Long Distance Duathlon Champion Mel Burke back to defend her national standard distance crown in the elite women and current ITU U19 elite triathlon world champion Mikayla Nielsen lining up in the U19 event as she continues her build up to the Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Triathlon Championships in Auckland next month. Nielsen will have stern opposition from fellow triathlete Maddie Dillon.

Schools will be vying for individual honours as well as bragging rights throughout the day, with racing from year 7 to U19 on the cards for athletes from all around the country with entries received from as far South as Ashburton and Christchurch and Whangarei in the North. Gisborne is also well represented across many age groups while there is also a strong representation from local central North Island schools.

Late entries are accepted up until 5pm on Friday, for further information click here or visit www.triathlon.org.nz and go to the events section.

A release and free to use image will be distributed on Sunday afternoon, full results will be posted online.

Contact National Duathlon Championships
Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo
Event schedule and distances

Friday 28 September        
Online Entries close            5pm
Saturday 29 September   
Registration @ TMSP                     2.30pm-4.30pm       
Track Practice                                   4.30pm - 5.30pm
Sunday 30 September     
Late Registration                              8:00am - 9:00am
U16 Start                                           9.30am
Standard/Elite/U23 Start                 10:00am
U19/Sprint                                         11.25am
U14/Short Start                                 12:25pm
Year 7 & 8 Start                                1:05pm
Prize-Giving                                      from 2:30pm

Race Distances
Standard Distance                           10km Run/40km Cycle/5km Run
Sprint Distance/U19                                    5km Run/20km Cycle/2.5km Run
U16                                                     3.5km Run/15km Cycle/2.5km Run
Short Distance/U14                         2.5km Run/10km Cycle/2.5km Run
Year 7 & 8                                         2km Run/7km Cycle/1km Run