Tauranga provided the dream start to the national Weet-Bix kids Tryathlon series, with a record turnout of 1430 children in perfect weather.
They cycled and ran their way to the finishing line around Arataki Park yesterday, with neighbouring Baywave providing an ideal venue for the first swim leg.
Olympians Luuka Jones and Sarah Cowley-Ross and triathlete Sam Osborne handed out the medals in an event where there were no winners and losers - only kids prepared to give it a go.
Sanitarium's sponsorship manager Nigel Chenery said it was great to see yesterday's event supported by 26 school groups. ''There was a real sense of community with school and family supporters.
Tryathlons had grown from one event and 800 participants in 1992 to 17 events and 30,000 children in the 2017-18 series.
