Around the Mountain
it's a rite of passage
The Spark Around the Mountain - it's an iconic, picture-perfect road cycle race. From the start line at TSB Stadium, you’ll head out through New Plymouth to the coastal Surf Highway 45. Acres of lush green Taranaki farmland and spectacular views over the coast greet you as you roll along the coast through Ōakura to Ōpunake.
Experience the small-town charm and scenic beauty before turning inland at Ōpunake on to Eltham Road. This section is a gradual climb up to Mahoe as you take in the views of Taranaki Maunga's southern face.
Rolling around Stratford and onto SH3 all that stands between you and the finish line is the infamous Burgess Hill before the 'Welcome to New Plymouth' sign welcomes you home.
Legendary: spark Around the mountain
RACE ENTRY
> Early Bird to midnight 30th September 2023 - $139
> Standard 1st October - 12th January 2024 - $159
> Late Entry from 13th January 2024 - $179
> Student - $20 discount on entries
> Early Bird to 30th September - $139
> Standard to 12th January - $159
> Late Entry from 13th January - $179
> Student - $20 discount
It's time to push yourself.
Are you ready to tackle the 148km cycling challenge in the legendary Tour of Taranaki!?
One of the toughest road race challenges in the motu, riders will power around Taranaki Maunga — smashing elevation levels of 1,121m in under 6 hours.
As the Around the Mountain ride includes 40 km on the State Highway and sections with no shoulder for 2024 the 8:00am start group has a cut-off time of 6 hours - an average speed of 25 km/hr. This assists us with our traffic management to increase the safety through this section and promotes a degree of experience for the riders completing this ride.
The cut-off point is at the 50km mark at Rahotu and any cyclists failing to reach this point in time will be redirected on to the 100km route.
Riders looking to ride 20-25 km/hr can start in the 7:00am wave.
Supporter vehicles
Cyclists do not need support vehicles during the ride as there are aid stations on course and mechanics/sag wagons. However, we know that there will always be friends and family that wish to support their cyclists on race day. If you do have supporters out on course please advise them to follow the recommended route to minimise traffic on the road and the potential for accidents to occur.
From the start of the race we request that any support cars wait until 9:00am before departing as you will follow the same route as the cyclists towards Okato.
From Okato please head to Wiremu Road via Oxford Road where you will travel on an alternative route before reconnecting with the cyclists again before Kaponga.
Please take extreme caution when turning right onto Eltham Road as cyclists will be traveling through this section at speed.
Kaponga is a good spot to stop and cheer on the cyclists before they turn left onto Manaia Road. All support vehicles need to travel straight ahead at this point to reach the State Highway.
We encourage stopping at Midhurst to cheer on the cyclists again. Please avoid stopping at Inglewood as this is already a very busy section for the cyclists and volunteers to safely navigate.
Please be aware that Rogan Street is closed for the day and you will not be able to access the parking area at TSB Stadium.
Pukeiti 100
One day | 100km