Wellington Kids to Benefit from Triathlon Expansion   1 Sep 2015

Wellington Kids to Benefit from Triathlon Expansion

More Wellington and Hutt Valley kids will have the opportunity to take part in large scale triathlon events following the expansion of a national junior triathlon series to the region.

The Hutt City Council and Sport Wellington have been working alongside Sanitarium, one of the country's best known food manufacturers, to secure a second event in the world's largest under 16 triathlon series for the region.

The Wellington Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon sold out in its previous two years, but will now be available to those children in the Hutt Valley wanting to participate. The new Lower Hutt event is planned just two days after the 2016 Wellington event at Kilbirnie Park.

Fifteen hundred new places will be created thanks to the expansion which will also offer participants the chance to get up close and personal with their favourite sporting stars.

Member of Parliament for the Hutt South electorate Trevor Mallard welcomes the decision to add an additional event which provides a great developmental opportunity for youth in the area.

"It's heartening to see organisations coming together in such a proactive way, to give more local children the opportunity to participate in a sporting event in which their family, and the wider community can also be involved," he says.

“Those children entered will not only experience the excitement of taking part in such a fantastic event, but they’ll also get the chance to meet some of New Zealand’s best loved sporting stars, which has always been a highlight for me at the previous TRYathlon events,” he says.

The General Manager of Sanitarium, Pierre van Heerden says the original event had taken place in Lower Hutt, but had moved in 2011 to Kilbirnie Park to accommodate a greater number of entrants.

But even with the larger capacity, the Kilbirnie Park event sold out in record time confirming that an additional event was needed in the area, he says.

"It's great to see how enthusiastic Wellingtonians are about this event and we are pleased to have been able to work with Sport Wellington and the Hutt City Council to bring an additional event to the area," says van Heerden.

"We are excited to see the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon return to Lower Hutt which will mean many more local kids are able to participate. This TRYathlon is all about having a go and doing your best and we are thrilled to be able to help provide an event which offers local kids the chance to challenge themselves," he says.

Entries will open for Wellington children aged between 7-15 years on the 21st of September 2015 event. Participants can enter as individuals, or in a team of two. All entrants at the March 20th and March 22nd events will receive a race pack, T-shirt, swim cap, participation certificate and medal.

The 2014-15 Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon series hit record numbers with over 24,000 participants in 14 event locations around the country.

Wellington registrations for the 2015-2016 Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon Series and nominations for Weet-Bix TRYathlon Foundation can be completed online at try.weetbix.co.nz or by calling 09 531 5080 when entries open on September the 21st, 2015.

ENDS

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