"I just wanted to come out and give it a go with the big guys. I wasn't coming out here to beat those guys at all," Wilde said. "I have just been racing age group for my whole career for about three years and thought it was time to come up.
"It was just for me a learning experience and really wanted to give it a good push. I felt really good on the bike and waited for Cameron Brown to come past and hold on to him.
"I came out in transition ahead of him somehow. I felt really good about the 15k mark and then Cameron caught me. We stayed together on the second lap around the Mount and he got me on one of the hills and I thought 'that was me done'.
"I was really happy to hold on to third place."
On his way to victory Currie had a strong swim leg before he opened up an unassailable lead on Brown and Wilde on the bike leg.
Currie said he was confident he would defend his Port of Tauranga Half title but admitted he was surprised to break the record.
"There was definitely wind out there and it was pretty interesting being solo on the bike that sort of made it a bit more of a battle. But it was surprisingly good actually," Currie said.
"I have been working a lot on my swim in the last year. I knew O'Grady was a good swimmer so I just set myself off him.
"Winning eight more years? I don't know about that mate. He is a bit of a legend. You see him out there today just so strong, just so consistent. But who knows."
Currie said he was impressed by Wilde, who now planned to give standard distance triathlon a real crack with the ultimate goal of making the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"You watch guys like Hayden Wilde coming through at 19 years old. You know that guy when he gets some more endurance up ... he definitely has plenty of speed and plenty of willpower to do it."
In the women's race, defending champion Amelia Rose Watkinson, 25, was never threatened, clearing away to win by in 4:16:30, more than 12 minutes from second-placed Julia Grant with Teresa Adam third.
"I managed to get a little bit of a lead off the bike which is always quite comforting when you heading into a 21km run, especially around the back of the Mount where the pace can slow quite a lot and your legs start to get a bit tired," Watkinson said.
"It is an awesome race and has got so much legacy to it."
2017 Port of Tauranga Half results:
Elite men: 1. Braden Currie 3:45:38 (course record); 2. Cameron Brown; 3:47:55; 3. Hayden Wilde 3:48:33
Elite women: 1. Amelia Rose Watkinson 4:16:30; 2. Julia Grant 4:19:04; 3. Teresa Adam 4:20:08.
