After a successful New Plymouth event attended by over 1,400 local kids, the 2009 Weet-Bix Tryathlon series has successfully broken the record for being the largest children's sporting event in the world, as verified by the International Triathlon Union.
Prime Minister John Key attended the New Plymouth Weet-Bix Tryathlon event to congratulate the Weet-Bix team and kids throughout New Zealand on achieving the world record.
Almost 19,000 Kiwi kids have participated in one of the 11 events across the nation during this year's Tryathlon series.
Mr Key says he was excited to help celebrate the events' growing success and to see so many New Zealand kids involved with the event.
"Getting Kiwi kids active and involved in sport is a long term investment in New Zealand" says Mr Key. "It has been fantastic to meet the children taking part in this record-breaking and iconic event."
Weet-Bix Senior Brand Manager, Tanne Andrews, says his team is extremely happy with the turnout and support of the 2009 series.
"It's so satisfying to pull off yet another successful Weet-Bix Tryathlon series," says Mr Andrews. "Seeing the smiles of triumph on the faces of kiwi kids around the country makes all of our hard work over the last year worthwhile."
Famous sporting heroes including Hamish Carter, Mahe Drysdale, Valerie Vili, the Evers-Swindell twins, Nick Willis, Andrea Hewiit, Debbie Tanner and the All Blacks have attended events throughout New Zealand to support and encourage participants.
The Weet-Bix Tryathlon is all about giving it a go, and all 2009 participants received a race pack, a race t-shirt, a swim cap, a certificate and a medal for their efforts.
Over the past 17 years more than 190,000 New Zealand children have taken part in a Weet-Bix Tryathlon event.
