By the Explore Tauranga news desk · Published Thursday 12 November 2026
The course for the World Triathlon Cup Tauranga has been released, with the swim, transition and finish at Waikorire Pilot Bay and the bike and run legs on The Mall, Adams Avenue and Marine Parade.
- When
- Sunday 22 November: age-group races from 7.30am, elite women 2pm, elite men 4pm
- Where
- Waikorire Pilot Bay, with the finish on The Mall near Salisbury Avenue
- Watch
- Grandstands and a big screen at the finish; live on TVNZ+
About 700 age-group competitors and 130 elite athletes are expected at the Mount for the day, with 33 countries represented.
The morning belongs to the Marra Construction Tinman Triathlon, run by local club Triathlon Tauranga, and the elite World Cup races follow in the afternoon on much of the same course, according to the council’s Newsbeat release of Friday 6 November.
Event director Shanelle Barrett said, “This brings the best of both worlds together with the age groupers racing in the morning on parts of the World Cup course that some of the best in the world will race on in the afternoon.”
The elite course
Elite athletes start with a 750m swim off the beach at Pilot Bay. The 20km bike leg is four laps around Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve, and the race ends with a 5km run, two laps, back to Pilot Bay.
The race hub, with transition and the finish line, is on The Mall by Salisbury Avenue, so both the bike and run keep coming back past it.
Race times
- Standard distance: 7.30am
- Short course: 9.15am
- Splash’n’Dash: 9.40am
- Sprint distance: 10.30am
- Para-tri: 10.47am
- Elite women: 2pm
- Elite men: 4pm
- Elite medal ceremonies: 5.10pm
Where to watch
Organisers point spectators to The Mall and Marine Parade, especially near the transition and finish by Salisbury Avenue, where there will be grandstands and a big screen showing the race.
Spectator access and filming will be limited along the Adams Avenue stretch, which passes the area affected by January’s landslide at Mauao. If you are planning a day at the bay, our guide to Pilot Bay Beach covers the area.
The first of three years
This year’s race opens a three-year run of World Triathlon events in Tauranga: a World Triathlon Championship Series race in 2027, then the series Grand Final in 2028 along with the Age Group and Paratriathlon World Championships. Courses for 2027 and 2028 have not been confirmed.
Full course maps are on the event website.
- Tauranga City Council Newsbeat: Stunning course set to showcase the Mount to the world, released 6 November 2026
Explore Tauranga news desk: news@exploretauranga.co.nz. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we’ll correct it.
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