Triathlon New Zealand Annual Report 2025 - Flipbook - Page 6
CEO Report
Strengthening the Sport,
Shaping the Future
Delivering progress across performance, participation, and sustainability
Reflecting on 2025, it was a significant year for Triathlon
New Zealand, marked by important progress across strategy,
participation, performance, and financial sustainability.
A major milestone was the development of a new strategy to guide
the sport through to 2029. Built around four key pathways, growing
the triathlon community, inspiring through world-class performance,
enhancing triathlon’s visibility, and ensuring effective governance
and financial sustainability, the strategy provides clear direction as
we look to strengthen the sport at every level. It gives us a strong
platform to respond to both the opportunities ahead and the
challenges we continue to face.
One of the most exciting outcomes of the year was securing the
rights to host three World Triathlon events, culminating in the World
Triathlon Championship Series Final in 2028. These events, to be
hosted in Tauranga, represent a significant opportunity for Triathlon
New Zealand. They will support all four strategic pathways, help
grow our commercial base, and reinforce New Zealand’s reputation
as a premier destination for world-level events. The long-term
impact of this achievement should not be underestimated.
Encouragingly, the sport continued to see sustained growth
throughout 2025. Membership and event participation increased
again on the previous year, reflecting the ongoing strength of our
clubs, event providers, and volunteers. This growth is particularly
pleasing given the broader economic environment, and it confirms
the value of continued investment in community triathlon.
Paralympic athlete, and developed a detailed plan with the support
of Sport New Zealand and World Triathlon. This work reflects our
broader commitment to making triathlon more accessible, and
it will be delivered in close partnership with our clubs and event
providers.
From an events perspective, we successfully hosted the World
Triathlon World Cup in Napier once again. The event continues
to grow in reputation, becoming a favourite among both elite and
amateur athletes, and receiving outstanding support from the local
community. Events such as this remain central to our sporting and
commercial ambitions.
Our Age Group community also continued to represent New
Zealand with distinction on the world stage. In 2025, a strong
contingent competed at the World Triathlon Championship Series
Finals in Wollongong, as well as the World Triathlon Multisport World
Championships in Pontevedra. New Zealand athletes are widely
respected internationally, and their conduct and performances
consistently reflect the values of our sport.
Financially, we continue to operate in a challenging environment.
However, I am pleased to report a surplus of $150,746 for the year.
This result is largely attributable to securing the World Triathlon
events for the coming years, which provide a platform to grow
our commercial and financial base into the future. We are also
extremely grateful for the ongoing philanthropic support of our
Patron, Garth Barfoot, whose passion for triathlon and generosity
continue to make a meaningful difference.
Our High Performance programme also made important progress.
The team refined its strategy in line with expectations from High
Performance Sport New Zealand, with a clear focus on securing
a medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. This work
sets up the next phase of the Olympic cycle and provides clarity
for athletes, coaches, and stakeholders. It was also inspiring to see
our athletes continue to perform at a high level, with Hayden Wilde
leading the way after returning from serious injury early in the year.
The year in numbers reinforces the progress made across the
organisation. We delivered 32 sanctioned and endorsed events,
up from 23 in 2024. A total of 504 Age Group athletes represented
New Zealand at world events, compared to 343 the previous year.
We grew our technical official workforce to 64 accredited officials,
increased overall membership to 5,847 across annual and one-day
members, and achieved total sponsorship revenue of $354,481.
A further area of focus was our commitment to inclusion. Triathlon
New Zealand strengthened its ambition to identify its first
I would like to acknowledge Anna and the wider community team
for the excellent work delivered in 2025. The second year of the
Triathlon New Zealand
Annual Report 2025
Page 6
