Ex-SEAG champ heads duathlon cast

MANILA, Philippines - Former Asian and Southeast Asian Games champ Ryan Mendoza leads a stellar cast in the second leg of the Powerade Philippine Duathlon Open slated Sunday at the Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Aside from Mendoza, who won a gold medal in the 2007 Thailand Southeast Asian Games, other standouts vying in the event are national team mainstays August Benedicto and Monica Torres, according to race director Thumbie Remigio in yesterday’s PSA forum.

Joining Remigio in the session sponsored by Accel, Pagcor and Outlast Battery was Powerade brand manager Teejae Sonza, who said that they expect close to 300 entries in the event sanctioned by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).

Remigio said that the run-bike-run competition will have 10kms in the opening stage, 40K in the bike phase and 5K in the last running stage “with 90 percent of the route to be run on a flat course.”

The event also serves as part of TRAP’s tryouts for the national duathlon pool, he added.

On the other hand, Sonza said the support of the duathlon by Powerade, a Coca-Cola product, is part of the sports drink’s commitment in helping TRAP develop competitive duathletes and the Coke’s Healthy Active Lifestyle advocacy, or HALika program.

“We continue to support TRAP’s mission of developing duathletes for international competition and, thanks to our support, we have begun to see a growing number of athletes taking up the sport,” Sonza said.

“Our national duathletes who compete overseas can be assured of Powerade’s solid support in their hydration and replenishment,” said Sonza.