FAQs

The Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon helps kids stay active and healthy through a programme of participation. It’s about getting out there, giving it a TRY, achieving a personal best, improving confidence and self-esteem.

The event is open to everyone aged between 7-15 years old, and consists of a swim, followed by a cycle and a run.

Participants can enter as an individual and complete all three legs of the event, or they can form a team of two by pairing up with a friend. As a team, one team member will be the “swimmer” and the other the “cyclist”. Both participants will complete the run section together.

We also have a Splash & Dash option for 6 year olds available. This is a good introduction for younger children to build up their confidence to participate in the full TRYathlon when they turn 7 years old. The Splash & Dash format will have the children first do the Swim Leg followed by the Run, with parents able to assist their children in the transition area.

Bike checks are not compulsory, but we strongly recommend getting one. The team at Evo Cycles will be providing free bike checks for registered TRYathletes in store prior to the event, and will be onsite for any last minute checks on event day. As the event morning will be busy, we recommend getting any bike checks done before event day.

Find your local Evo Cycles store here.

Participants who register by the courier cut-off date will have the option to get their TRYathlete Packs delivered to them! If you complete your registration after the courier cut-off date for your event, you will need to collect your TRYathlete Pack either at our early pack pick up date, or on event morning from our Pack Pick Up Tent. To find the cut-off dates for your event, please visit the respective Location page.

Advanced Delivery

If you have registered prior to midnight on Wednesday 30th November 2023 and selected the pack delivery to your home option, your child’s TRYathlete Pack will be delivered to you by courier between mid-December 2023 to early-January 2024.

Standard Delivery   

If you have registered prior to midnight on the Standard Delivery cut-off date and selected the Pack Delivery option, your child’s TRYathlete Pack will be delivered to you by courier 3-5 days prior to the event. 

TRYathlete Pack – Pick-up @ Event

If you have registered after midnight on the Standard Delivery cut-off date or have selected the pick-up option, you will need to collect your child’s TRYathlete Pack from the Registration & Pick-Up Tent. Packs will be available for collection between 2pm-6pm the day before the event for weekday events, on the Friday before the event for weekend events, or in the morning on event day. Please bring a copy of your confirmation email with you to collect your TRYathlete pack.

Pack Pick Up Times & Dates:

 

Event	Early Pack Pick Up	Event Day Pack Pick Up	Event Venue
South Auckland	2pm-6pm Monday 20 and 10am-4pm Tuesday 21 November 2023	8am-9am, Wednesday 22 November 2023	Mountfort Park, Manurewa
Mt Maunganui	TBC	7am-8am, Sunday 3 December 2023	Arataki Park, Mt Maunganui
Hamilton	TBC	7am-8am, Sunday 10 December 2023	Waikato University Fields, Hamilton East
Hastings	2pm-6pm, Tuesday 13 February 2024	8am-9am, Wednesday 14 February 2024	Mitre 10 Park, Hawke’s Bay
Christchurch	2pm-6pm, Thursday 22 and 10am-4pm, Friday 23 February 2024	7am-8am, Sunday 25 February 2024	Jellie Park, Burnside
Dunedin	2pm-6pm, Friday 1 March 2024	7am-8am, Sunday 3 March 2024	Taieri College, Mosgiel
Nelson	2pm-6pm, Friday 8 March 2024	7am-8am, Sunday 10 March 2024	Tahunanui Reserve, Nelson
Wellington	2pm-6pm, Friday 15 March 2024	7am-8am, Sunday 17 March 2024	Kilbirnie Park, Kilbirnie
Palmerston North	2pm-6pm, Monday 18 March 2024	8am-9am, Tuesday 19 March 2024	Ongley Park, West End
Central East Auckland	12pm-7pm, Thursday 21st March 2024 at Rebel Sport Panmure 10am-5pm, Friday 22nd March at Rebel Sport Panmure	7am-8am, Sunday 24 March 2024	Pt. England Reserve, Pt. England
New Plymouth	2pm-6pm, Tuesday 26 March 2024	8am-9am, Wednesday 27 March 2024	Ngamotu Beach Reserve

Your TRYathlete Pack will each contain:

– Official event participant t-shirt
– Bib number stickers
– Swim cap
– Weet-Bix drawstring bag
– Special offers and competitions from our event sponsors

Merchandise Delivery

If you have purchased merchandise, it will either be delivered with your TRYathlete Pack free of charge, if you have chosen to have your TRYathlete Pack couriered to your home or School. Alternatively, if you have opted to “Pick Up” your TRYathlete Pack, it will be available to collect from the Pack Pick Up Tent if you collect your Pack prior to your event on the “Early Pack Pick Up Day” OR from the Merchandise Tent if you collect your Pack on event day. 

To find out if you have selected to have your item shipped to you, please view your invoice details online via your registration confirmation email. If you would like to get your merchandise items shipped, but not your TRYathlete Pack, please get in touch with our customer services team at tryathlon@sanitrium.co.nz to organise shipping fees.

Your TRYathlete pack and merchandise orders will be delivered to the address you provided during
the registration process. If you need to amend this address, please contact our Customer Services
Team on 0800 WEET BIX (0800 9338 249) or at tryathlon@sanitarium.co.nz.

TriNZ have a range of training programme guides for you to download and use as you prepare for your event. Check out TriNZ’s TRY TR@INER programmes here!

Please read through the Preparation and On The Day Guides for your event to ensure you are well prepared and have packed all the items needed for a safe and fun day. These guides will be emailed out to you in the lead up to your event, and are also available to download from your Location page.

The following items are compulsory:

• Closed in shoes for the cycle and run legs (Asics Running Tips).
• A well fitting helmet for the cycle leg (Evo Cycles Cycle Tips).
• Official Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon t-shirt with bib number attached.

If you have received your TRYathlete kit make sure that you have your child’s bib number sticker and that it is stuck to:

• The front of their event t-shirt (it is best to do this with the t shirt lying on flat surface)
• The front of their helmet
• The handle bars of their bike

Make sure you allow plenty of time to get to the event and to find a car park. Please leave enough time to get through the numbering, Check In and Transition process before Transition closes. The more time you allow, the easier it will be. There will be lots of people and it will be very, very busy, so please be patient and listen to all instructions, which will come from our officials, volunteers and the event commentator. To view the schedule for your event, visit the Location page.

And remember, drink plenty of water before and during the event and always warm up and stretch before the TRYathlon!

If the weather is not looking great on the morning of the event, make sure you check our Facebook page to check the event status. It is very unlikely that the event will be cancelled but it may change format from Triathlon to Duathlon, Aquathon or Fun Run. Safety is our first priority so adjustments to the format will be made as necessary.

If there is a change to the event, we aim to have our Facebook page updated by 7:00am.

Please check our event policies.

If your child needs assistance during any leg of the course, please contact us at least one week before the event and we will discuss options with you.

We can arrange for a parent or guardian to have access to all areas of the course to provide assistance. You can contact our Inclusions Manager at evelyn@smcevents.co.nz

The On the Day Entry & Pack Pick Up Tent will be open between 8:00AM –9:15AM on week day events, and 7:00AM – 8:15AM on weekend events.

You only need to come to the On the Day Entry and Pack Pick Up Tent if:

• You want to register ‘on the day’ for an event which has not sold out.
• You have not received a TRYathlete Kit.
• The participant t-shirt in your TRYathlete Kit is not the correct size.
• The participant bib sticker in your TRYathlete Kit has the wrong information on it.
• You need to make a last-minute amendment to a participant’s registration.

Please bring a copy of your entry confirmation email with you to the On the Day Entry & Pack Pick Up Tent.

Alternatively, you can visit the On the Day Entry and Pack Pick Up Tent on our scheduled Early Pack Pick Up days.

Early Pack Pick Up Times/Days:

• Sunday Events: Usually Friday before event 2:00pm-6:00pm, but times may vary between event locations. Please check your event location page for more details.
• Weekday events: Day before event 2:00pm-6:00pm (e.g. a Wednesday event will have a Tuesday early pack pick up)

Check In is the entry point into the Transition area and is open between 8:00AM – 9:15AM on week day events, and 7:00AM – 8:15AM on weekend events. You must Check In in order to complete the event.
At Check In you:

• Will have your participant bib sticker barcode scanned. This enters you into the prize draw for Prize Giving!
• Be ushered to the correct row to leave your bicycle and gear in.

Transition is a big fenced off holding pen for participants’ bikes and is the change-over point between legs of the race. When a participant comes from the swim, they will transition to the bike ride. When they finish the bike ride, they will come back to Transition to leave their bike and begin the run.

The Transition area is organised according to swim cap colour. Bikes will need to be lined up with the flag matching your child’s swim cap colour and any additional equipment kept to the side of the bike.

Once your child has gone through Check In and positioned their bike in the Transition area, you will not be permitted to enter Transition to add or retrieve equipment until after the conclusion of prize giving. Please ensure that you have everything you need for the day with you when you leave Transition before the event briefing.

For a list what to leave in Transition, visit our On The Day guide.

The first TRYathlon will start at 10:00AM on a weekday event and 9:00AM for a Sunday event. TRYathletes will start their event in age groups according to their swim cap and bib sticker colour. Exact times for each age group will be communicated on the event day as these times will vary based on the number of participants registered into each event.

The start order will be as follows:

 

Prize Giving begins once the final TRYathlete has crossed the finish line. Prize Giving typically begins between 12:00PM – 1:30PM, and has an average duration of 30mins.

You must be present at Prize Giving to collect your prize if your name is drawn.

Following the conclusion of Prize Giving, the Transition area will be opened for bikes and equipment to be collected.

The event finish time will differ based on the final number of participants registered into the event. Estimated event and prize giving finish times are likely to be between 12:00PM – 1:30PM.

Event specific estimated finishing times (please note that these times are approximate, and may differ on event day):

Event	Estimated Prize Giving End Time
Mt Maunganui	12:55pm
Hastings	1:10pm
Hamilton	12:55pm
Christchurch Morning	12:50pm
Nelson	12:25pm
Dunedin	12:25pm
Hutt City	1:10pm
Wellington	12:50pm
Palmerston North	1:05pm

There will be a Lost Kids tent positioned next to the stage where our Help Team will care for any lost children – this is the best spot to find lost parents too!

The first thing you should do when you arrive at the event venue is set up a meeting point. There will be lots of people there on the day and it will make it easier if you decide on a meeting place in advance where the whole family can go to when you finish your TRYathlon or if you get separated.

We strongly recommend that you write your child’s bib number on their right forearm and left shin. This is important as in the event of an accident, it means we are able to identify your child and contact you via the mobile number you supply during the registration process. If you have other children with you on the day who are not participating, we recommend that you write your mobile number on their arm if they do not know it.

If you have lost an item of property, we recommend that you check in at the Lost Kids Tent during the event – if it has not been handed in, you can log the details of the item with one of the Help Team, and they will contact you if it is handed in.

Post event: please contact our Customer Services Team at tryathlon@sanitarium.co.nz or on 0800 WEET BIX (0800 9338 249) as soon as possible with a detailed description of the item, and the event your child attended.

At the conclusion of each Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon, all lost property is given to the local coordinator who will hold items for eight weeks for collection. After this date any items that have not been collected will be donated to a local charity. The exception to this is any items that a child could use at the TRYathlon e.g. helmets, shoes, bikes and towels which will be donated to the Weet-Bix TRYathlon Foundation.

The Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon organisers take no responsibility for any property lost at the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon events.

Distances are approximate and are as follows;

•  6 year olds (Splash & Dash): 50m swim / 1.5km run
•  7 year olds 50m: swim/ 4km cycle/ 1.5km run
•  8 – 10 year olds: 75-100m swim/ 4km cycle/ 1.5km run
•  11 – 15 year olds: 150–200m swim/ 8km cycle/ 1.5 km run

The Swim

The swim leg will take place either in the ocean or a public pool. Each venue is a little bit different, so we recommend you check the Location page to check the depth of the swim at your child’s event and to download a swim map. There are always lots of lifeguards on hand to help if your children need assistance.

For pool swims, some of the lifeguards will be based in the pool for the entire event. Others will be located around the edge of the pool to assist with entering and exiting the water. Flutter boards are also available if required.

All ocean swims are conducted parallel to the beach, so your child will never be far from land. Some of these lifeguards will stand on the shore and some of these lifeguards will be based in the water for the entire event.

We will always have a lifeguard on hand for our TRYathletes should they require assistance.

Team Swimmers

On the morning of the event, you will need to head to the blue CHECK IN tents at Transition to be scanned in.

You will need to have your Weet-Bix TRYathlon t-shirt (with bib number attached), shorts, closed in shoes, towel and drink bottle in your Weet-Bix TRY drawstring bag (with your bib number written on it). This bag will be left with your team cyclist (not left in Transition) for them to give to you when you TAG them after the swim leg. Once you have TAGGED your team cyclist, you will have time to get dry and changed under the blue Teams Bay tents while your team mate is out on the cycle leg. Once ready in your running gear, you will wait for your cyclist to come and TAG you and then you will complete the run together.

The Cycle

The cycle leg will take place in parks, on footpaths and roads with traffic management plans in place. We recommend you check the Location page for your event to download a copy of the cycle map.

Each participant taking part as an individual or team cyclist, including children from the same family, will need to have their own bike and helmet to complete the TRYathlon. Sharing bikes can compromise safety and security.

If you require assistance with equipment, you can apply for support from the Weet-Bix Foundation here.

For health and safety reasons, closed in shoes must be worn during the cycle and run legs of the TRYathlon.

Team Cyclist

On the morning of the event, you will need to head to the blue CHECK IN tents at transition to be scanned in and then leave your bike and helmet in transition. When you are ready to leave transition, you should be wearing your Weet-Bix TRYathlon t-shirt (with bib number attached) and your closed in shoes – that way you are all ready to go and just need to put your helmet on before you start cycling. Your team swimmer will give you their drawstring bag to hold on to while they are swimming. When they TAG you after their swim, you will need to give them their drawstring bag so that they can get changed while you are out cycling.

The Run

The run leg will take place in parks, on footpaths and roads with traffic management plans in place. We recommend you check the Location page for your event to download a copy of the run map.

For health and safety reasons, closed in shoes must be worn during the cycle and run legs of the TRYathlon.

Safety is the top priority for each and every Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon event and for this reason, the following event rules must be adhered to:

• The Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon is about participation and Fair Play. By entering the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon event, you agree to abide by the principles of Fair Play; respect for the rules, courtesy, just and equitable treatment for all participants, spectators and event volunteers alike.
• We also encourage all spectators, present on the day, to encourage and cheer for all participants present, and to equally abide by the principals of Fair Play. Thank you for your support.
• Participants and spectators must follow TRYathlon Marshals’ instructions. They will be the ones in the HELP TEAM shirts encouraging you and directing you around the course.
• Spectators must keep clear of all parts of the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon course. This includes the Transition Area, which, once the TRYathlon starts, will not be open again until after prize giving has concluded.
• Your helmet must be on correctly, and done up securely before you leave Transition.
• Closed in shoes must be worn for the bike and run legs of the event. You must ensure that your shoelaces are done up before you leave Transition.
• Take care on corners and slopes particularly if conditions are wet.
• Road closures are in place, keep left if not overtaking – remember that your bike course is like a normal road, and normal road rules apply.
• Your Official Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon T-shirt must be worn during the ride and run.
• Familiarise yourself with the course – and view the maps on Information boards located in the event arena.
• Do NOT move other participant’s bikes or gear in the transition area at any time.

To view our full Terms and Conditions, click here.

After you have completed your TRYathlon you will receive an email with a link to our website where you can create and download your Certificate of Achievement.

Simply type in the name of your TRYathlete and click ‘Download’ to save a copy of your certificate ready for printing.

We are always keen to receive feedback on our events!

After you have completed your TRYathlon you will receive an email with a link to complete a post-event survey.

Alternatively, you can send us an email to TRYathlon@sanitarium.co.nz