Challenge Wānaka Junior

Challenge Wānaka Junior is a children's triathlon in Wānaka, New Zealand, centered on the Puzzling World Junior Challenge and Intermediate Challenge. It is designed for school-age children from Year 1 to Year 8, welcoming those new to triathlons. Hundreds of young athletes participate, with Year 7 and 8 competitors racing separately from the younger age groups. The course offers children a scaled-down version of the Challenge Wānaka event: they swim in Lake Wānaka, cycle along the lakefront, run across the Wānaka Challenge bridge, and finish on the red carpet within the Challenge Wānaka finish area. All participants receive a medal, a T-shirt, and Puzzling World prizes. The top girl and boy in each age category are awarded medals at prize-giving. Promising young athletes can also serve as balloon kids for the leading professional male and female competitors, connecting the junior race directly to the main Challenge Wānaka event.