Kinloch plays host this weekend to the latest round of the Contact Tri Series with the hosting of the New Zealand Age Group Sprint Triathlon Championships and the ITU Oceania Sprint Championships for elite athletes and the response has set new records with sold out fields and huge crowds expected.
And while the elite athletes such as Kris Gemmell, James Elvery, Chris McCormack (AUS), Debbie Tanner, Nicky Samuels, Teresa Adam and an international representation from ten different countries will take centre stage in the Oceania Championships on Sunday afternoon, hundreds of age groupers will be chasing spots at the 2012 World Championships earlier in the day.
And such is the popularity of the sport and the lure of the 2012 ITU World Championships being held in Auckland on Labour Weekend this year, all age group sprint racing is at capacity with demand from the triathlon community at an all time high.
Triathlon New Zealand CEO Craig Waugh is delighted with the growth experienced in both Kinloch and Wellington in particular as athletes look to qualify for the Auckland World Champs event later in the year.
"When we knew we had the 2012 ITU World Championships in Auckland, Tri NZ made sure our membership knew well in advance of the qualifying opportunities should they wish to represent New Zealand at a world championship on their home soil.
"Auckland last November was the first such chance to qualify, with the first 10 eligible athletes across the line in each age group booking a spot on the New Zealand team. Kinloch is the second such chance in the sprint distance where again we will have 10 spots up for grabs in each age group.
"As with any sport and any event of this nature, one reflection of your success and the interest in your sport is the numbers participating. Clearly based on a sold out Kinloch (with over 900 participants) and a similar high demand for Wellington (March 10), the sport continues to grow at a pleasing rate with the lure of racing in Auckland later this year in a New Zealand uniform a huge factor in that growth.
"The great news for the sport is we are continuing to grow and increase in popularity through the delivery of events such as the Contact Tri Series and the hosting of internationally significant events such as the Barfoot and Thompson ITU World Cup last year and this year the Barfoot and Thompson ITU World Championships. Our focus now is to deliver another great event this weekend."
The great response to Kinloch has resulted in further investment in infrastructure with an overhead bridge being built this year to ease congestion in and around the transition area. This has been made possible with the help of the Taupo District Council and Contact Energy, both of whom acknowledge the value in such a community event for the Taupo region.
"The Kinloch Triathlon is another fantastic Endurance Sport event held in Taupo," said Nick Reader, District Events Manager with the Taupo District Council.
"We are proud to host an energetic event in the beautiful setting of the lakeside Kinloch village. We are pleased with the growth of the event in both participation and profile and look forward to another successful event this weekend."
While Craig Griffiths, Contact's Community Relations manager said:
"We're delighted to collaborate with Tri NZ and the Taupo District Council to ensure the safety of the participants and spectators at the Contact Tri Series in Kinloch."
"At Contact Energy, we value the wellbeing of our employees, customers and the communities that we work in.
"Taupo is a very special community to us, and it's important to us to help provide an environment where people are safe at this popular community event."
