For its hosting of last year’s Barfoot and Thompson World Triathlon Championships, Triathlon New Zealand (Tri NZ), was among those rewarded for excellence and outstanding achievement in sport and recreation in New Zealand at the country’s annual Sport and Recreation Awards ceremony, held in Wellington on Monday night.
The World Triathlon Championships picked up the Event Excellence award, giving Tri NZ its second sector award in as many years after winning the Communications Excellence category last year.
The Grand Finale of the ITU World Triathlon Series (ITU WTS) is one of the most significant events on the world triathlon calendar – the last event in an eight-race series that decided the world champions last year.
In May 2010, Triathlon New Zealand, Auckland Council and NZ Major Events successfully bid for the right to host the Championships. The Auckland event widened participation by hosting a participation-based entry level event, as well as a Weet-Bix Tryathlon event for people aged from 7 to 99 years.
An event goal was to attract 4,500 athletes. It attracted 5,208.
There was a focused effort to make this event highly visible and to showcase Auckland. The event was marketed to participants and to spectators – both at the events and through media. A goal was to grow the event’s audience with non-triathlete fans, both attending the event and watching live television coverage.
It captivated Auckland for three days and in terms of media interest, it was much bigger than just a sporting event. The event was also rated highly by participants and international organisers.
