While those completing the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon give it their all out on course, organisers run their own race against the clock as the event tours the country.
Moving one of New Zealand’s largest travelling roadshows around the country is a logistical challenge with everything from 35 marquees, that create a fun Expo Village, through to breakfast food and hard infrastructure needing to be transported.
There are 17 events from the Bay of Islands to Dunedin to serve more than 30,000 participating kids plus another 75,000 supporters. The day-long set up before each event is a well-orchestrated piece of container-based logistics.
Series Manager Craig Seuseu says the secret to solving the logistical challenge is packing up the entire TRYathlon village into four 20-foot shipping containers.
“These days containers are used for a wide range of things, but the Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon roadshow highlights shipping containers at their most practical and effective,” he says.
The TRYathlon series is now in its 26th year with the swim, bike and run event about inspiring kids to live a healthy, happy and active lifestyle.
The set-up turn-around time from town to town is tight, especially as the series ramps up throughout February with a succession of events across the North Island and a leg throughout the South Island.
“The containers are packed reasonably tight,” says Mr Seuseu, “but the way container and transport specialists Royal Wolf have helped us organise them means we know contents have been taken care of during transport.
“So we can open up the containers, pull out the 100 metres of marquees, the packets of Weet-Bix, the bikes, and the kit and infrastructure, and go straight into set up to ensure we are ready on time for a really good event.”
Paul Creighton, Executive General Manager of Royal Wolf, says while containers are in vogue for a diverse range of projects, the TRYathlon roadshow is a classic example of what containers were traditionally used for.
“Transportation and storage – that’s what containers are designed for and really, that remains their best function,” he says.
“Royal Wolf modifies containers into a wide range of things, from portable storage options for sport and community groups to offices for construction sites. But there’s no better way to transport equipment easily and efficiently, than inside a container.
“The Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon is a feat of logistics and these big steel boxes mean it’s possible to make this great Kiwi kid’s community event happen in all corners of the country.”
