Five hundred out of town competitors descended on Whanganui for the David Jones Suzuki New Zealand Schools Triathlon Championships with family members, support crews and coaches in tow.
Coming hot on the heels of the Master's Games, Mayor Hamish McDouall says there could be an opportunity to re-brand.
"Whanganui is, I'm going to make a bold claim here, the sporting capital of New Zealand," says Mr McDouall.
The event is built around the city's iconic river, which it seems, is in good company internationally.
"It was only ten days ago that parliament declared Te Awa Tupua a legal entity and it's extremely historic. And guess what? A week later the Ganges followed," says Mr McDouall