IRONMAN have revealed the swim, bike and run courses for this year’s IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, which will take place in the famous New Zealand town of Taupo.

The triathlon hub will host the event on December 14-15, and is set to feature hometown stars such as Kyle Smith and Hayden Wilde in what will also be the final race of the 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series.

With over 6,000 amateur and professional athletes bound for the North Island in six months time, we take a look at what they can expect from the course in Aotearoa.

The Swim

Taking place in the fresh waters of Lake Taupo, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship will feature a point-to-point 1900m swim.

Starting at the Lake Taupo Yacht Club, athletes will swim out 300m, before making a left turn and following the shoreline for 1200m, before taking a second left turn and swimming 400m to the shore opposite Rifle Range Road.

Transition is at Kaimanawa Reserve, with competitors running a short distance before changing in to their bike gear and getting ready to take on the next stage of the race.

The Bike

On to the bike, the ride starts with a steady climb, before reaching the start of a clockwise, never-raced-before-loop, that makes up the bulk of the bike course.

With around 640m of elevation gain over 90km of riding, the bike course features a number of rolling hills with some smaller, punchier climbs, and a final ascent of ‘Heartbreak Hill’ before a descent back into transition.

The Run

Finally, on to the run, athletes will complete two-laps of the 9.85km course, with breathtaking views of Mt Ruapehu, Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe and the lake along the way.

Running through town, prepare for the roar of the crowd, with a final 1.5km stretch through Taupo taking athletes past transition and then down the finishing straight.

What’s not to love?

Five years in the making, Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President of World Championship Events for The IRONMAN Group, said that the race organizers had put a lot of work into creating a world championship calibre course.

“Since Taupō was first announced as the host of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship back in 2018, we have been working side by side with the IRONMAN New Zealand team and local stakeholders to design a championship worthy course.

“Whether our athletes are taking part in their first or fifth IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, it is our mission to provide an experience that matches their hopes and dreams for this occasion.

“We also want to make sure we showcase the very best of Taupō and its hugely supportive community, and we think we’ve created a course that ticks all those boxes.”