Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge

Love the Ride!

More options, more adventure at the 2025 Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge

Get ready to pedal, push your limits, and Love the Ride at New Zealand’s greatest cycling event – entries are now open for the annual Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge. This legendary event is set for Saturday, 29 November 2025, marking the 47th running, and we’re gearing up for another ride to remember.

There is excitement in the road cycling world after we announced a brand new event category – the Great Lake 100, an approx. 100km ride taking in the picturesque Lake Taupō. Riders have been asking for it and we are super pleased to be able to deliver the inaugural Great Lake 100. We are confident it will become a crowd favourite and that it will hold a distinguished place among our mainstay event categories for years to come. It’s perfectly positioned between the Independent Traffic Control Length of the Lake and the Shimano Round The Lake, tailored for progression yet packed with the energy of a buzzing peloton.

With fewer choices in the annual calendar available to road cyclists wanting to participate in formal events, this new category provides another option and so far we’ve had very positive feedback!.

Following its successful debut in 2024, the Tineli Huka Hundy will return to the start line, solidifying its status as a must-ride event for mountain bikers seeking breathtaking scenery and a challenging course that pushes them to the limit.

Taupō, no stranger to hosting large events, is once again looking forward to hosting the thousands of riders and supporters who descend on the region to be part of the annual pilgrimage to one of New Zealand’s longest and most established event.

No matter what type of riding you’re into, there’s an option for anyone to participate, whether it’s one of the events three mountain bike categories, or the iconic Shimano Round The Lake (approx. 160km), the 2 lap Enduro (approx. 320km), the Great Lake 100 (approx. 100km), or the Independent Traffic Control Length Of The Lake (approx. 55km) road categories.

And if you are part of the ever growing Gravel riding cohort, there is something for you too. Since its introduction in 2022, the Gravel Grind (approx. 83km) is proving hugely popular and it’s no surprise given it uses local MTB tracks, gravel roads, farm tracks, and tar sealed roads, not always accessible to the public.

Let’s not forget the Lakesider - the perfect entry-level, mostly off-road, recreational cycling challenge that showcases the best of the stunning region and is always a hit with families.

All event categories with the exception of the 2 lap Enduro can be done on an e-bike if you prefer that over a traditional non-assisted bike, so there is really is no excuse to not gear up and love the ride. Whether you’re chasing a personal best, soaking in the stunning Lake Taupō scenery, or just in it for the ride, there’s a spot for you in one of New Zealand’s largest and most celebrated cycling events.

Come join us in November.

For all the details, check out the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge website.