Participants of the Kāpiti Women's Triathlon. Photo / Jeff Mein Smith
Participants of the Kāpiti Women's Triathlon. Photo / Jeff Mein Smith
The weather was perfect for the hundreds of women who took part in the Kāpiti Women’s Triathlon on Sunday.
The triathlon’s operations co-ordinator, Sierra Ryland, was worried weather warnings for the weekend would put people off participating but those worries faded away when she woke to the sun shining and 591 entrants soon arriving to take part.
“That’s definitely one of the highest number of entries we’ve had in years – and one of the highest ever.
“It was a huge gathering.”
The atmosphere was “buzzing” when Ryland got to Raumati Beach, where the event began.
A cyclist at the Kāpiti Women's Triathlon. Photo / Jeff Mein Smith
Ryland said the triathlon, which included running, cycling, and swimming, was a success, and while some of the newcomers were a bit nervous about swimming in the ocean, everyone finished the triathlon, and there were no major injuries.
She said for some people, the triathlon was something they had wanted to do for a while, and they were determined to finish it.
“It’s like a bucket list item for them to do the whole triathlon.”
It was a really hot day, and Ryland said that made it quite challenging for the competitors who started later in the day.
Some of the women who did the Kāpiti Women's Triathlon. Photo / Jeff Mein Smith
“At one point we grabbed the hose we were using to fill up our water containers and used it to spray people as they were running through. I think only one person said no.”
But thanks to the amazing weather, lots of people stuck around for the prizegiving, which was held in Marine Gardens. There were lots of prizes donated by various businesses including an $850 voucher for Biking Mad, a skincare prize worth over $1000 from Caci Clinic, and various other prizes.
There were also food trucks, and various stalls selling stuff, and Ryland said they saw the event as an opportunity for fundraising, with Paraparaumu School there doing a sausage sizzle.
Women doing the swimming aspect of the triathlon. Photo / Jeff Mein Smith
They were also donating to charity, with people having the option to pay extra so it could go to Kāpiti Women’s Centre.
Ryland said they also wanted to keep their entry fees as low as possible so the triathlon would be as accessible as possible.
“One of our goals is we want to encourage wāhine [women] of all abilities and ages to participate, so we really want to keep the entry fees as low as we can.”
Ryland has been a running and triathlon coach for many years and has been a top-level age group triathlete, so she said she is very involved in the sport.
One woman doing the running part of the triathlon. Photo / Jeff Mein Smith
A couple of years ago her coach was involved in the Kāpiti Women’s Triathlon, where she was running the Saturday training sessions every week in preparation for the event.
When she stepped away from that Ryland was asked to take over, and eventually, because of that connection to the triathlon, she was asked to take over her current role.
The triathlon has now been going for 41 years, and Ryland said it’s still doing well and on the incline.
Organisers of the triathlon wanted to thank their main sponsors, Coastlands, Biking Mad, Lions Foundation, Kāpiti Coast District Council, New Zealand Community Trust, and Pelorus.
