IronMaori founder Heather Skipworth's plans for next year's event were in motion even before today's started.
As the last day of planning for the sixth IronMaori drew to an end last night, she told Hawke's Bay Today she's planning to compete next year for the first time.
"I've done five ironmans," she said. "I'd love to do my own event."
Crucial to that plan is finding a successor for at least some of the mahi that has gone into creating the event which was first held in 2009.
"I have a little protege I've been priming-up to take over," she said.
As thousands settled down for the night before the dawn start, she conceded that even now she sometimes wakes wondering if the event itself has all been a dream, morphing into a range of associated events and spreading its wings to Australia.
"It's very humbling," she said.
Husband Wayne has been able to compete and was doing a swim leg in the teams event this morning before taking care of the merchandising, another aspect of the event which has grown exponentially over the last five years.
Last night he was also an unwitting test-tube for the water conditions, with a small number of Pandora Pond watchers having told Hawke's Bay Today they were not so sure about the quality of its water.
"My husband's just come out of it," Mrs Skipworth said.
"He said it's beautiful."
The event continues to attract its range of allcomers, who this year include movie star Cliff Curtis, doing the 2km swim leg in the teams event, and MP, Maori Party co-leader and full-course competitor, Te Ururoa Flavell, who confided in Mrs Skipworth yesterday that he hadn't been able to train as much this year as he had for his previous bids at IronMaori glory in Napier.
Also among the starters was founding winner Kevin Nicholson.
The event was starting at 6.15am, with individual full-course competitors starting the swim, before taking on the 90km cycle and 21.km half-marathon run. Team cyclists were also starting at 6.15am.
The fastest time was expected to be about 4hrs 30mins, in what Mrs Skipworth believed would be "perfect" weather for the event, but competitors could be on the road as late 5.30pm when the course closes.
The prizegiving starts at 6.30pm at McLean Park, but like Mrs Skipworth many others will also have started thinking about next year.
"Some will be booking their motels before they leave," she said.