Auckland-Wellington-Auckland

About

Auckland-Wellington-Auckland is a 2000 km LRM event planned to start at 5am on the 27th Feb 2026. It starts in Cornwall Park Auckland to Wellington and back. 

We have two formats for this epic ride

1) LRM - Registered on the international calendar, LRM rules apply (you have to maintain a minimum pace and there is a time limit of just over 8.3 days or 199.3hrs)

2) Race - You can race this in your own time. 

When

27 February 2026 5am Poplar Steps Cornwall Park Auckland NZ

How to Enter

Entries will be open from October 2025 on the Kiwi Randonneurs Website. 

The Route

The route at this stage is provisional. It includes several hundred km of unpaved road to avoid busy sections of highway and prioritizes good cycling roads rather than the most direct route. It's recommended that you ride a cycle with 32mm or wider tires. 

Parts of this route runs through central high-country where the weather is changeable, and can experience snow or sleet at any time of the year. 

How much training do I need?

New Zealand is a hilly country. If you are going to attempt the LRM you will need to be able to demonstrate to the organisers that you have successfully finished other randonneuring, bikepacking or similar ultra endurance events. Moreover many parts of this route has limited services and there are sections of 100 km or between towns, most with limited services. In practice this means being able to ride consistently for at least 240km, ideally 300 km per day to finish this brevet within the LRM time limits.

Rules

• This event is unsupported. There are no sag wagons, organised stops or anything else like that. You're on your own.
• You must keep to 100% of the course other than official detours. If you leave the course you have to return to the same point.
• You can ride in groups if you like but not with people not in the event.
• You can only access services that are publicaly available to all riders.
• No motorised assistance of any kind including e-bikes.
• You must obey the road rules, have two working headlamps and tail lights and ride with high-viz including retro reflective at night.
• You will need a tracker (Spot or similar).

The Route

Auckland to Turangi

From Cornwall park, navigate to your first checkpoint at 6.3km the Summit of Mt Eden. from there the route takes you around the bays towards Clevedon at 45km then onto Kawakawa and down the Firth of Thames to your next checkpoint at Ngatea at 152km. Head south through the Hauraki plains to Te Aroha at 198km then through the Waikato to Matamata at 234km. From Matemata you head into more sparsely populated parts of the North Island and this is your last major services town with 24 Hour resupply until Turangi. Arapuni comes at 273km and there is a cafe and backpackers there. Following the Waikato river towards is source, you are beginning the climb into the central north island and your next town is Mangakino at 328km that has shops, camping on the Lakefront reserve and basic services. From Mangakino, following the river you pass through the little town of Whakamaru at 336km that has basic services. From Whakamaru, you start to climb away from the river and the road becomes much more lumpy. This is the las place to get any supplies until the checkpoint at Turangi at 436km.

Turangi to Wellington 

Leaving Turangi you start into a solid 35km climb (to 917 metres) as you cycle towards Waimarino (formally National Park). There are no services between Turangi and Waimarino that arrives 50km later. Waimarino is a ski service town that has accommodation, food etc however the general store closes around 7pm. From Waimarino enjoy a generally down-hill trend all the way to Ohakune which is a checkpoint at 520km. Ohakune is a full service town however offers no 24 hour services. Stock up here, there are no services until the next checkpoint Hunterville at 700km. Ohakune to Hunterville follows the Turakina Valley road that is unpaved down the Turakina river then to Hunterville. 

Hunterville is a very small service town and your last option to take on supplies until Kimbolton some 63 km away including another gravel section. Theres not much other than a cafe and petrol station in Kimbolton, however the good news is that you'll enjoy a glorious downhill run of nearly 20km towards Feilding. You dont go to Feilding though (full service 24 hours) as you turn just prior towards Colyton where there is a cafe and onto Ashhurst. You can get most things in Ashhurst although it does not have a 24hour service station. From Ashhurst you'll climb over the now quiet Saddle Road towards Alfredton (no services but you can get water from the School and camp in the Domain) then onto Masterton, the largest town in the Wairarapa at 845km. Stock up here befor you head towards Martinborough. Martinborough is you last chance for services until the small Dairy at Te Marua. From Martinborough head around the lake then up over the Remutaka incline and down into Upper Hutt. Those on road bikes will need to be careful at the start of the Remuataka incline track, as parts of it are narrow, with steep drop-offs. From Te Marua you can follow the cycleway all the way into the city about 30km away. The Wellongton checkpoint is the Wellington train station at 1029km.

Wellington to Raetihi

Retracing your path from Wellington continue out of the city and over the incline into the Wairarapa and on to Masterton. The Greytown checkpoint comes at 1124km and has great cafes. From Masterton you head through to Pahiatua, about 208km from Wellington, then onto Palmerston North checkpoint at 1275km. Palmerston North has 24 hour services. As you cut across the plains you' ll pass through Bulls (24 hour services), Marton (services) the road becomes lumpier. From Martin the route takes you up the Whanganui river to Raetihi at 1488km. There are no services between Martin and Raetihi and few options for water. Stock up. It is a solid climb up the river road.

Raetihi to Auckland

From Raetihi to Waimario is a solid climb. Stock up in Waimario as there is nothing until Taumarunui (24 hours service). The Ohura checkpoint comes at 1619km. There is not much in Ohura, however you can get water and there are public toilets. This section of the ride is very remote. Your next town with services is Otorohanga 1742km (24 hours). From Otorohanga you travel through the Waikato through Te Awamutu (24 hour services) then along the river through Hamilton (24 hour services) to your checkpoint in Huntly 1895km. Continue north back into Manakau then Auckland itself and the Poplar steps where you started at 2004km.

About LRM

Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (LRM) was created in Paris in 1983, with a major objective of promoting, encouraging and applauding the efforts of cyclists taking in part in the long brevets of 1200kms and above.

In order to carry out its objective les Randonneurs Mondiaux has a small executive that is charged with recording and ratifying the long brevets around the world. The executive consisting of President, Vice president and Treasurer are elected every four years at the General Assembly held in Paris, immediately after the Paris -Brest-Paris Randonee.

Auckland to Wellington Inspiration from Lachlan Morton

We dont ride quite such a direct route but impressive effort and the video gives some idea of the landscape