Challenge Wānaka is gearing up to welcome the next wave of young athletes, with registrations now open for its 2026 student, youth, and adaptive events.
Since the junior events began in 2009, more than 15,000 children — from preschoolers to teens — have taken part in Challenge Wānaka, many discovering a lifelong love of sport and the outdoors. Challenge Wānaka event director Jane Sharman says the events are designed to be inclusive, fun and community-focused.
“We want kids to feel confident giving multisport a go. When sport is accessible and enjoyable, it can spark something that stays with them for life.” “We have seen many of our junior entrants go on to become adult competitors. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch that progression from giving multisport a go as a kid to developing a real passion for it and continuing that journey into adulthood. It speaks to the lasting impact these events can have.”
Each year, the Challenge Wānaka Sports Trust subsidises entries for young athletes aged 6 to 15, ensuring cost is not a barrier to participation. “We see close to 2,000 entries for our youth events each year,” Sharman adds. “And to have welcomed over 15,000 kids since the programme began is a real testament to the appeal of the event.” The 2026 Challenge Wānaka youth programme includes the Puzzling World Mini Challenge (Preschoolers), the Puzzling World Junior Challenge (Years 1–6), the Puzzling World Intermediate
Challenge (Years 7–8) and the Mitre 10 MEGA Wānaka Adaptive & Secondary School Challenge (Year 9+).
While the events are strongly supported by local schools, they also attract students from across Southland, Otago, Canterbury and Nelson-Marlborough. Long-term partners Puzzling World and Mitre 10 MEGA Wānaka continue to support the youth events. Puzzling World’s Duncan Spear says they are proud to help nurture the next generation of athletes. “It’s fantastic to see so many young people getting active and creating memories — we’re delighted to keep that spirit alive in Wānaka,” adds Mark Watson, General Manager of Mitre 10 MEGA Wānaka.
“At the heart of the event is the Challenge Wānaka Sports Trust, whose mission is to get more people more active in the community,” Sharman says. “Together with our partners, the Trust subsidises youth entries to remove financial barriers and encourage participation. The goal is to give every child the chance to experience triathlon, teamwork and the outdoors in a way that is fun, accessible and community-driven.”
The Challenge Wānaka youth days will be held on the February 19-20, 2025. Adaptive & Mini Challenge registrations will open early December. Registrations are now open at challengewanaka.com for the Junior, Intermediate and Secondary School events.
