They say Kiwi kids are Weet-Bix kids and, judging from the turnout at yesterday's Weet-Bix Kiwi Kids Tryathlon, plenty of them come from Tauranga.
This year's Tryathlon closed Devonport Rd to traffic yesterday morning as 1620 children sweated it out in damp and muggy conditions.
Many ran over the finish line red-faced
and drenched in sweat but with wide smiles as they were awarded medals from sports celebrities such as triathletes Jo Lawn, Cameron Brown and All Blacks Richard Kahui and Liam Messam.
Nine-year-old Renei Te Pairi said Kahui was her favourite and had him sign her Tryathlon shirt.
Renei and her teammates, Indya Pompey, 10, and Renee Jay, 9, had been training since February for the run, swim and bike event. Renei said it had been "hard" and she was tempted to stop but kept going.
The three got up at 5.30am most days. Renee had trained to do the cycle leg but shared the running instead as organisers cancelled the biking section.
The general manager of Sanitarium New Zealand, Pierre van Heerden, said the roads were simply "too slippery".
"The safety of our children is the most important thing for us and in the course there were some slippery hills and sharp corners. It just would not have been safe enough," he said.
Despite the cancellation of the cycle leg, the number of children taking part increased by about 300 from last year.
"The whole event is about kids giving it a go," Mr van Heerden said. "It's just fantastic to see that even in this weather all these kids are still taking part. That's the kind of thing we want to encourage in them."
Having sporting celebrities on the finish line also helped.
Kahui said the Tryathlon was "fantastic for kids".
"It's always neat to give back and sign kids' shirts.
"For us, we know we are normal people but for kids, to give them a bit of your time, they appreciate it."
