Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon

The Weet-BixTM Kids TRYathlon is stated to be "the world's biggest sporting event for children". It is open to anyone aged 7 to 15 and attracts over 11,000 entries in the average year.

Quoting further from the Weet-Bix pack available in summer 2011-2012, "It's where awesome athletes like our Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon Ambassadors - 2010 Youth Olympic Gold Medallist Aaron Barclay and World Champion cyclist Alison Shanks - got their start ...". The pack has photos of Aaron with his gold medal in 2010 and in the TRYathlon in 2002.

Times and places, 2011-2012
(Celebrating 20 years of TRYathlons)

December 2011

 * 7th: Manukau

February 2012

 * 12th: Hamilton
 * 15th: Hastings
 * 19th: Wellington
 * 26th: North Shore

March 2012

 * 4th: Nelson
 * 11th: Christchurch
 * 18th: Dunedin
 * 21st: Palmerston North
 * 25th: St Heliers
 * 28th: New Plymouth

April 2012

 * 1st: Tauranga

2013-2014
Around October 2013, packs started promoting the 2013/2014 TRYathlon. This time, no codes on the boxtops and no sign of non-athletic contests.

2015-2016
Three new venues - Northland, Hibiscus Coast, and Lower Hutt - bring the total to 16, with dates ranging from 9 December to 10 April. The Weet-Bix packs advertising them featured training tips from Valerie Adams.

2016-2017
Another round, first noted on Weet-Bix packs in November 2016 straight after the All Blacks packs ceased. Packs showed different children who had participated in 2015-2016, with a gold medal inscribed "INSPIRING KIWI KIDS FOR 25 YEARS".

Again 16 venues, from Bay of Islands to Dunedin, dates from 4 December to 2 April. Five noted sponsors: ASB, Toyota, Haier, Bikebarn, and Warehouse Stationery.

2017-2018
Seventeen venues, from Bay of Islands to Dunedin; Christchurch and Nelson are the only other South Island venues, but every North Island region has at least one, with two in Wellington and three in Auckland. Dates from 3 Dec 2017 (Mt. Maunganui) to 8 Apr 2018. All detailed on the distinctively marked packs of Weet-Bix, in shops from early Spring, that feature more children from past competitions. The platinum sponsors list has lost ASB but gained "Pass the Parcel", it joins the continuing four (Haier, Warehouse Stationery, Toyota, and Bikebarn). No discount offer from Bikebarn.

The Palmerston North City event was enthusiastically reported on page 30 of the Feilding-Rangitikei Herald of March 22, 2018. Under the heading of "Little legs and big hearts in Tryathlon", the half-page article (with photo from the bike leg) recounted how almost 2,500 children (a record) competed across Ongley Park and the Lido Aquatic Centre. Those who finished the course got medals from Selica Winiata, a star of the Black Ferns and a member of the Manawatu police force. Several paragraphs of the article were devoted to 8-year-old Connor Cassidy, who competed despite a fractured collarbone and nearly gave up in the swim section when someone kicked his shoulder.

2018-2019
Similar range of dates and venues.

The Palmerston North event was entered by about 2230 pupils, according to the commentator over the loudspeaker at the sun-drenched event. Schools from most towns in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region had entries, plus one from the Wellington Region (Te Horo).

2019-2020
Same again until March 2020 when the Wellington and Palmerston North events (and probably all later ones) were cancelled because of COVID-19.

2020-2021
With New Zealand practically free of COVID-19, business as usual. From about November, Weet-Bix packaging featured the TRYathlon though with a semi-rap-style exhortational verse instead of the traditional map with venues and dates. Each pack showed a child in sporting gear, unnamed.