The hugely popular Partners Life DUAL event has received further kudos with official sanctioning as the Triathlon New Zealand Cross Tri Nationals, with athletes able to earn qualifying spots for the ITU World Cross Triathlon Championships in Holland in July this year.
Based at Home Bay, Motutapu in the Hauraki Gulf, the Partners Life DUAL has in its four years already established a reputation as one of the more sought after events on the sports calendar. The DUAL is a trail-running or walking and mountain biking event that crosses the oldest and youngest land forms in the country and is staged on some of the most scenic landscapes in New Zealand, the Hauraki Gulf's Motutapu and Rangitoto Islands.
Aaron Carter from total sport, the event organisers, is thrilled to have received the endorsement from Triathlon New Zealand.
"It is the first year we have introduced an off-road Triathlon to the Partners Life DUAL event menu, we're excited about bringing an off-road Triathlon to Auckland. Our partnership with Triathlon New Zealand, which allows people the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships is a real plus for the Partners Life DUAL, which now has stunning event options for all levels of keenness and ability."
Triathlon New Zealand for their part is equally enthused that The DUAL has agreed to act as the Cross Tri National Champs, offering competitors who wish to race at the sharp end of the event the chance to qualify for the World Champs in July.
"The organisers of The DUAL have been wonderful to work with and we couldn't be happier to have an event of this stature and in this location to act as our Cross Tri National Champs," said Tri NZ Operations Manager Community and Events, Haidee Stratford.
"The sport is growing at such a rate across all aspects and cross tri is not immune to that expansion. Tri NZ is thrilled to be able to put in place a clear qualifying pathway for athletes wishing to represent us at elite or age group level on the world stage, competing in The Partners Life DUAL is a key step on that pathway."
