It seems the Ironman times are comparitively faster than the 70.3?
Is it on the same course? Is the bike and/or run harder for the 70.3?
There is no 70.3 to be accurate - it’s a half ironman not in the WTC stable…yet! While there are some minor differences, the courses are pretty much the same.
The times probably reflect the quality of the field rather than anything else.
Totally different venues. I have done IM NZ twice, but not the half. I think it is called Port of Tauranga half. My understanding is that the bike and run course on the half are flatter and faster than the full distance race. Many of the local guys do the half as a warm up to IM NZ. The full distance race can be fast as long as the winds stay down, but having done it twice in 3 years, the winds always seem to be a factor. IM NZ is a great race in a great location. However, if you are looking for a KQ slot it is even more difficult now since they cut back the number of slots in 2011 and beyond. Even still, it sold out in record time back in May.
Which half are you referring to? We don’t have a 70.3.
I’ve always been impressed with the IMNZ times compared to the local HIMs (pick any) here…the timing of IMNZ in the first weekend of autumn lends itself to participants having a whole summer to train (including “training through” said HIMs), then race in conditions conducive to fast times (cool temps, mild wind & rain). My 2c as an ardent observer…
(edit to add: the other reason is the IM field is so much bigger and deeper than any other race here, the competitive types get easily swallowed up in big swim & bike packs & pacelines, leading to fast & efficient times)
(edit to add: the other reason is the IM field is so much bigger and deeper than any other race here, the competitive types get easily swallowed up in big swim & bike packs & pacelines, leading to fast & efficient times) <<
And if the OPer is comparing Hooksie’s 1/2 IM to IM NZ times, well, you draft at Hooksie’s race and you’ll regret it. 
The 3 major HIM distance races in NZ are in:
Rotorua in Dec. This is on a very scenic course and is billed as the toughest. The bike course has some quite big hills. The run course is quite tough with hills and some twisty, hilly trail sections.
Taupo in Dec. This is on part of the IMNZ course. The field is quite small (but growing each year) and doesn’t usually contain many of the faster people. Times arre roughly 10-15mins faster than Rotorua.
Tauranga in January. This is on a fast, flat course and has a large field. It attracts some of the top pros. It serves as a qualifier for the NZ long distance tri team, so the field is usually strong. Times are about 15-20mins quicker than Rotorua.
Taupo half will arguably have the fastest field as terenzo is defintely doing it…the run course is slightly different than the IM as you only run to rainbow drive and then turn (and do that twice). I personally think the back half of the run in taupo is the fastest part.
The run at the mount is deceptively slow, especially with the changes so you now run round the mount at the end of each lap. The mount always seels out 4 odd months in advance
IMNZ is in Taupo. I don’t know if there is a 70.3 there (I don’t think so) but there is a 1/2 IM there.
Back in the day the 1/2 IM was run by “Hooksie” RD extraordinaire. Then the town didn’t renew his licence to race (rumour has it that the new race is run by one of the town councils cousins or some crap) so Hooksie moved his race to Rotorua and it is about 7 million times better! The lake is smaller, flatter (hills all around) and waaaaaay warmer than the snow fed Lake Taupo in Dec! The Rotorua bike course is way better with (I can’t believe I’m saying this) proper hills. The run course in Rotorua is just awesome. Some single track, some wide trails in the bush, some on a dirt road (dirt, not gravel) and about 1/2 on a hilly road.
Rotorua 1/2 is a bit slower for me (5:34 at an admitted slightly short course in Taupo, vs a 5:59 at Rotorua) but it’s a waaaaaa better race and experience.
I haven’t done the new Taupo 1/2 as I followed Hooksie to Rotorua is freezing cold water in December, being mostly snow melt from the nearby mountains, often only about 11 deg C!!! The swim is 1/2 the IM swim pretty much. The bike is almost exactly 1/2 of the IM bike and the run was 2 laps of 1/2 the IM run course (sort of). Teh 2 1/2’s are often a week apart, so difficult for normal humans to do both.
I haven’t done the new Taupo 1/2 as I followed Hooksie to Rotorua is freezing cold water in Dec<<
Yes! Coldest water I have ever swam in.
IM NZ–did that one, but unable to comment on any halfs there. The Kiwis put on a race that puts any other IM to shame (I’ve done ALL US IM’s to date save for Louisville & St George that were full with swims intact)…with the exception beating out NZ slightly being IM CALI in '00 & '01 (it’s difficult to get better volunteers than the US Military–even if the swim was measured in '00 with nautical miles). Taking into account IM CAN, Kona, you name it. The volunteers, and organization was heads above anything Mr. Fraser or WTC put out here in the states. Kudos to the Kiwis! If the deniro to travel there ever happens to come my way to fly there, I’ll do it again.
It is the taupo half. Thanks for the responses.
I was having breakfast with Hooksie one morning after I think the second Rotorua 1/2 IM and he FINALLY admitted that he routinely lied about the Taupo water temperature. He would measure the water at the lake bottom, near the race start. For those that don’t know, Lake Taupo is in a thermal area and natural hot springs pop up in a few places. The swim start is one such place. Even there however, the water in Dec is only 16 degrees C. Only 100m away, the water is just 11 degC! Freakin’ cold.
However, on an accurate course there, I got my only 2km swim time under 30 minutes, I was stoked. The rest of the course was notoriously short however. The bike being only about 86-87km and the run being 1km short as well.
Rotorua is way better.