While Penong’s 5150 Davao will be Tagum City’s first crack at endurance racing hosting, the racecourse which conforms to international standards guarantees a fast, exciting race when it is fired off Sunday (Sept. 4) in Davao del Norte.
Bohol’s Jonathan Pagaura and Team Next Step Tri spearhead Bea Quiambao will set out as the triathletes to beat in their respective sides in the Olympic distance 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run race at The Wrec, Hijo Resort Davao given their recent performances.
Pagaura is out to top the 2:07:40 clocking posted by absentee Satar Salem of Lanao del Norte in the Sun Life 5150 Bohol where he placed second last July while Quiambao seeks to improve on her time of 2:27:13 in pursuit of back-to-back 5150 crowns.
But the fancied bets will be in for a tough, demanding challenge with the rest of the 445 bidders of various skills and talents all primed in both the age-group categories and the overall championship.
Meanwhile, registration is ongoing.
“We are all excited and we have prepared an excellent racecourse and a safe race for everyone,” said Neville Manaois, race director of the event organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc. and backed by Lightwater, Finis, Rudy Project Sante (Barley), Manila Bulletin and Tempo.
The opening swim leg will be a counter-clockwise route starting at the Banana Beach at Hijo Resorts, featuring a 270-meter stretch with participants turning left to the 630-meter part of the course before heading to the final turn for the last 600 meters. the cutoff is one hour.
The 40km bike race will start upon exiting Hijo Resorts towards the main highway and heading to Daang Maharlika to Tagum City. It is a two-loop course ending at the Lanikai Hiro Estate Resort with a cutoff time of three hours and 30 minutes while the closing 10k run part, also made up of two loops, will start as they exit the transition area and head south inside the Hijo Resorts property across the bridge with the finish line set at the baseball field.
