Last week and the weekend were something of a blur for Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Cup CEO Dave Beeche and his team, 18 hour days tend to do that to anyone. But there can be no doubting the success of the triathlon that captured the imagination of thousands on the Auckland water front and sent images and live coverage throughout New Zealand and around the world, showcasing Auckland at its best.
The first significant Auckland event after the Rugby World Cup, the Barfoot & Thompson sponsored triathlon was delivered in spectacular fashion on Sunday as a major event in its own right, but also as a dress rehearsal for the much bigger ITU World Champs Grand Finale next year, on Labour Weekend.
Beeche is delighted with the response to Sunday's action.
"An event of this magnitude does not happen without the input of many, many people and organisations. The first ones to thank are the people of Auckland, the city businesses, residents and organisations that were affected by our event in any way shape or form. We always appreciate that an event of this significance will have an impact on people and the way they go about their lives for one morning, one day and we appreciate hugely their cooperation and understanding.
"And we couldn't stage such an event without the help of hundreds of volunteers. Either on the day or in the lead up we enjoyed the support of some fantastic people, some who love the sport of triathlon and wanted to be a part of a great day in the sport, others who simply wanted to play their part in showcasing their city to the country and to the world.
"Our event partners deserve plaudits too, from our sponsors led by Barfoot & Thompson to our stakeholders ATEED, Auckland City, SPARC, Pub Charity, Major Events and Tourism New Zealand, everyone has contributed to a great team effort that shows the way forward for major events in Auckland City."
While there were many last minute scrambles behind the scenes in the lead up to racing taking place on the Sunday, Beeche says this is normal for any large event that involves significant infrastructure and road closures and he was thrilled with the day from a sporting and operational point of view.
"The initial response from our 1,100 participants has been very positive. From the moment they entered to the end of their prize giving the indications are they were looked after efficiently and with care, on and off the course.
"From an operational point of view there were certainly some learnings we will take into next year but almost without exception we met our targets and delivered a safe and timely run event. We were particularly pleased to have a number of roads and access ways reopened ahead of time, looking where we could to minimise disruption to local infrastructure."
Governing body the International Triathlon Union were certainly pleased, with leading official Thanos Nikopoulos telling local media that the event was "one of the best world cups we have seen," further believing that "next year will be one of the best world championships we have ever had."
Indeed next year's event is projected to attract in excess of 3,000 age group athletes, many from overseas and outside of Auckland, many of whom will bring family and supporters with them to the city, boosting spending on accommodation, hospitality and tourism activities in particular, while also profiling the city and the redeveloped water front to millions around the world thanks to live television and internet coverage watching the elite World Championship Grand Finals.
For now though, Beeche prefers to concentrate on wrapping up this year's event.
"There is still much to do in debriefing this year's event before I can even think about next year. The first thing for everyone involved will be to enjoy a break with families after weeks and for some months of hard work and planning. We will then begin our preparations in earnest to deliver a world class event for the city of Auckland on Labour Weekend next year."
