Government invests in Vibram Ultramarathon

A $300,000 Government investment will help build the international profile of the Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon, Associate Tourism Minister Todd McClay announced today.

The race this Saturday is the southern-most global location of the new 10-event Ultra-Trail World Tour series and will showcase 100 kilometres of beautiful lake, forest and geothermal landscapes from Rotorua to Kawerau.

A record 190 international athletes from 27 countries have registered to compete alongside 660 local competitors.

“It’s pleasing to see early dividends from this investment with international entry numbers for the event doubling since last year. The Government co-invests in events like this to grow the international profile of New Zealand as a diverse event destination,” says Mr McClay.

The Major Events Development Fund investment over three years will promote the event internationally to Australia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Britain, the USA and Europe.

The 3 year investment will support three key initiatives:

Grow the number of total competitors, particularly from the international ultramarathon circuit;
Leverage ongoing relationships with local iwi to promote business and tourism opportunities; and
Grow the number of international media covering the event.

“The Fund’s aim is to attract, retain and grow major events that have the ability to generate excellent economic benefits for the regions they are hosted in, attract international participants and spectators, and profile New Zealand as an exciting and diverse a visitor destination,” says Mr McClay.

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