The event, comprising men's, women's and recreational triathlons and duathlons, as well as the South Island secondary schools triathlon for senior, intermediate and junior pupils, was held almost exclusively in and around the Oamaru Harbour due to traffic and competitor safety concerns surrounding the planned cycling and running legs along Thames St.
The alternative cycling route, from Marine Pde into Tyne St and down to the end of Humber St and back, and the running leg along Oamaru Harbour, did little to faze men's winner Rob Creasy.
The Dunedin athlete was second out of the water and third off the bike before catching the leaders halfway through the run. He then used the strong southerly at his back to win comfortably from Andy Collins, of Oamaru.
Despite the near-freezing temperature of Oamaru Harbour, Creasy said he found the revised course to his liking.
"I really enjoyed it. It was good," he said.
"I did it four years ago on the old one, but I really like the new course."
Former St Kevin's College pupil Reubyn Bisschops, now of Christchurch, was just as impressive in the main women's race, beating home Florence Van Dyke, of Dunedin, by two and a-half minutes.
Event organiser Adair Craik was thrilled with the "fast and furious" action in what she deemed to be the strongest field assembled in Oamaru for a decade, eight months before the world championships in Auckland in October.
She admitted a "few crinkles needed to be ironed out" for next year's layout - most notably traffic control at the intersection of Humber and Itchen Sts - but said the new course had proved better for both athletes and spectators.
Thought had been given on Saturday to cancelling the swim leg due to cold, wet and windy weather, but yesterday had dawned sufficiently fine for the race to go ahead as intended, she said.
Creasy said the event provided one last quality hit-out before the Contact Tri Series final, which doubles as the national standard distance championships, in Wellington on Saturday.
