Staged in and on the shores of Jervis Bay, the highly anticipated event saw local favourites competing, including Matt Lewis who placed 13th with a time of 04:00:48, Rob Duffy finishing with a time of 05:42:18, and Haydn Jervis claiming the silver-medal in the Aquabike distance coming in at 02:48:12.

With the event livestreamed through YouTube and Facebook, local and international eyes were on Husky and the professional triathletes as they competed for top spot and the prize of $15,000.

The Professional Triathletes Organisation added an additional $20,000 to the existing prizemoney, adding to the luster of the 16th annual Husky Triathlon.

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Hailing from Queensland, Ellie Salthouse won the 16th annual Husky Triathlon in the female category, topping women's swim, bike and run with a finishing time of 4:09:59, with a 1:54 victory over New Zealand's Amelia Watkinson. Victorian Annabel Luxford trailed in to third place at 04:14:27.

Also from Queensland, Simon Hearn combined his eighth-place swim and fifth-best bike legs with a race-best half-marathon of 1:13:10, hitting the finish line in 3:48:27 - a 39 second win over 2016 Iron Man 70.3 World Champion Tim Reed and 1:04 win over third-place Caleb Noble.

Organisers of the event Elite Energy extended their thanks to Huskisson, the surrounding communities, and to the team of volunteers with notable mentions to local groups Nowra Athletics Club, Jervis Bay Navy Cadets, 1st Bomaderry Scout Group, William Campbell Foundation and Mako Paddle Club.

A free "Try-A-Tri" race for first timers, along with TriKids for seven to 12-year-olds is run by Elite Energy, with the next free event held at the Wollongong Triathlon Festival on April 11.

For more information, visit: eliteenergy.com.au/event/wollongong-triathlon-festival