Taupō is in final preparations for the full-fledged return of an iconic event on the New Zealand sporting calendar – the Ironman.
After the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the endurance race in recent years, tomorrow’s event will bring back a full field of nearly 1800 competitors and with it, all the hype amongst some of the world’s best athletes.
New Zealand’s top seeds, Braden Currie and Hannah Berry, will be among them looking to defend their titles.
“it's been a long time coming in a way,” Currie said.
“I am actually excited to be back on the race course. The last few years I've managed to get used to the distance so it's not really scary anymore, it's more just about racing it as hard as I can.”
In fact, 2021 saw no international competitors at all featured in the race and last year’s event was delayed and shortened – circumstances Berry now uses to drive her.
“If you line up on race day, use that as motivation,” she said.
“I think it's a great position to be in and not everyone gets to be in that position so you just have to lap it up.”
Race director Wayne Reardon is also lapping up the first full-scale event in three years.
“It's great [international competitors] have come back in their droves to support this race, they know how good this race is,” Reardon said.
“Not being bias or anything but they like to come back and race here and if they haven't they've heard about it.”
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