Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
The Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge is New Zealand's largest mass participation cycling event. First held in 1977, it takes place on the last Saturday of each November and circumnavigates Lake Taupo, a volcanic crater lake in the centre of the North Island. The ride starts and finishes in Taupo with one full circuit being approximately 160 km. Around 7,000 riders take part each year.
Categories
The event aims to cater for all riders, from the elite racers to those just wishing to make it around. This is reflected in the range of finishing times - from under 4 to over 10 hours. Riders are asked to nominate finishing times and staggered starts are used to group riders by ability.Subcategories of the event are :
- Round The Lake: A one lap circuit of Lake Taupo for individual riders. Approximately 160 km.
- Half The Lake: Ride the second half of the Lake Taupo circuit. Approximately 80km.
- Quarter Lake: Ride the last quarter of the Lake Taupo circuit. Approximately 40km.
- Lakesider: A 16 km leisure ride for recreational cyclists, mostly off-road.
- Kids Heart Ride: An option for children under 10, a 5 km distance into Taupo.
- Enduro: An option for individuals who ride multiple laps of the lake circuit.
- Huka Mountain Bike: Mountain bike challenges of 35km, 60km or 85 km, and an 85 km elite licensed rider race.
- Men's Classic Road Race: An official sanctioned race. Participants set off before the rest of the riders, competing in a full-on race, with a current racing license required, and entry limited to 100 riders. Riders must have a previous best time in the main event of under 4:30.
- Women's Classic Road Race: A women's only 100 km race for licensed riders from Taupo to Turangi and return.
Records
- Fastest Round the Lake : Sam Gaze 3:37
- Fastest Round the Lake : Susy Pryde 3:57
Past winners
| Year | Men's winner | Women's winner |
| 1998 |  Darren Murray | Susy Pryde |
| 1999 | Lee Vertongen | Susy Pryde |
| 2000 | Jason Kelly, Patrick Kelly & John Barry | Susy Pryde |
| 2001 | Marcel Hollenstein | Michelle Hyland |
| 2002 |  Paul de Rijk | Melissa Pilla |
| 2003 | Matthew Yates | Roz Reekie-May |
| 2004 | Jeremy Yates | Nadene Boyle |
| 2005 | Peter Latham | Meshy Holt |
| 2006 | Hamish Bond | Brei Gudsell |
| 2007 | Gordon McCauley | Kerri-Anne Torckler |
| 2008 | Peter Latham | Kaytee Boyd |
| 2009 | Jeremy Yates | Melissa Holt |
| 2010 | Roman Van Uden | Karen Fulton |
| 2011 | Michael Torckler | Kaytee Boyd |
| 2012 | Mike Northey | Rushlee Buchanan |
| 2013 | Michael Torckler | Reta Trotman |
| 2014 | Patrick Bevin | Ruby Livingstone |
| 2015 | Dion Smith | Racquel Sheath |
| 2016 | Aaron Gate | Racquel Sheath |
| 2017 | Sam Gaze |  Matilda Raynolds |
| 2018 | Hamish Bond | Ione Johnson |
| 2019 | Kees Duyvesteyn | Sharlotte Lucas |