Contact schools nationals confirmed for Karapiro

The Contact Schools National Triathlon Championships have been confirmed for a return to Karapiro next year, with triathletes descending on the central Waikato town on the of 25th March 2010.

This will be the second time that the event has been run under the control of Tri NZ; Youth Development Officer Mel Warmerdam explains the high hopes the national body has for the event next year and beyond.

“Our aim is to turn the Contact Schools Nationals into one of our iconic events. For too long the sport of triathlon in Schools was left to its own devices but we are now determined to offer help and resources to grow the sport at this age group.

“To grow the event Tri NZ recognised the need to move the event forward from April to March to make better use of the warmer conditions and to tie in nicely with the end of our Contact Tri Series and National Championships. The new date will see athletes compete in Wellington the week before and carry that form and conditioning on to the Schools Nationals ten days later.”

Warmerdam is excited about a return to Karapiro, with the venue perfectly suited to the large fields and many hundreds of spectators who flock to watch over the event.

“Karapiro is a great location with facilities set up for water events like this. The swim and roads are safe for the participants and still prove to be a challenging course to race on. It is also fantastic for the hundreds of other athletes and supporters to watch the races unfold, with much of the course visible to the spectators.”

The event is not just for the elite either. While champions will be found and the standard at the front end of the races high, Tri NZ is also catering for students who simply want to ‘have a go’.

“We are welcoming everyone regardless of ability,” said Warmerdam. “Those serious about the sport will be racing at the front end of the field but the course is also friendly (as are the officials) for those simply wanting to have a go! We are not exclusively about elite athletes and winners, we are also about encouraging all New Zealanders to participate and tailor races and distances accordingly.”

The other significant change is to opt for a midweek date that falls within the schools summer tournament week, again to encourage greater participation. Tri NZ will run a competition to reward the overall top school based on a percentage participation/results formula, ensuring that school rivalry is strong across all events.