Jakub Langhammer flashed his superb biking skills to check a long search for local crown while Aussie Dimity Lee Duke dominated the women’s side in the pro division of the first Penong’s 5150 reduced to a duathlon event in Davao yesterday.
Langhammer charged back from fourth after the first leg of the 2.5km run-40km bike-10km run event with a strong showing in the middle stage then cruised to victory in 1:46:00, his first triumph in the country after a number of failed bids, including a third place effort in Black Arrow 5150 won by Mitch Robins in Subic last November.
Originally set over the Olympic distance 1.5k swim-40K bike-10K run race, organizers scrapped the opening leg due to concerns over the quality of water in the swim stage on the eve of the event, citing the safety of the participants as their top priority.
Though a duathlon competition, the Czech still seized the moment, posting the fastest time of 00:57:28 in the bike to take control on his way to beating New Zealand’s Kiera McPherson by over three minutes for top honors worth $2,000 purse. Langhammer timed 08:00 and closed out with 00:37:21 in the two run legs.
McPherson and Robins of Australia turned in identical clockings of 00:07:59 in the first run part but failed to keep in step with Langhammer in the bike and lost steam in the closing run event.
McPherson timed 01:01:59 in the bike and finished second in 1:49:58 while Robins wound up third in 1:53:07 after struggling in bike with a 01:01:54 effort.
The multi-titled Duke, on the other hand, took charge early and won pulling away in 02:02:10 with Kiwi Laura Wood coming in way behind in 02:09:02 in their side of the centerpiece event organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. and sponsored by Davao’s favorite barbecue house Penong’s Barbecue and Seafoods Grill for the first time.
Sharing the spotlight in the event backed by Lungsod ng Davao, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, 2GO, Nature’s Spring, David’s Salon, F2P Sportswear, Pioneer Insurance, Vitargo, Alaska, AlcoPlus, Australia Harvest, Cetaphil, Devant, Regent Foods, Sanicare, Sun Life Financial, Timex, TYK and Active with One Sports, Cignal, Manila Bulletin, Crosstrain.ph, MBody.ph, Tempo, Trilife, AsiaTri.com and Finisher Pix as media partners were John Leerams Chicano, Gian Tumabang and Moira Martinez.
Chicano picked up another win in Asian elite worth P30,000 as he timed 1:50:54 to beat Raymund Torio (1:53:22) and Jorry Ycong (1:53:36), while Tumabong (1:05:08-men’s) and Martinez (1:09:34-women’s) reigned in the Sunrise Sprint, also turned into a 1.5km run-20km bike-5km run race.
