Cone's wife in Ironman relay

Alaska coach Tim Cone motored from his Alabang home to Pili, Camarines Sur, to cheer for his wife Cristina who’s competing in the run leg of the relay event of the second Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 this morning.

The Cones made the trip last Friday – just two days after the Aces clinched the PBA Fiesta Conference crown at the Araneta Coliseum with several foreign triathletes, including Cam-Sur defending Ironman 70.3 champion Terenzo Bozzone, watching at courtside.

Cone brought his wakeboard to Pili but won’t get to use it until after the competition is over this afternoon.

Cristina is teaming with former national swimmer Betsy Medalla and biker Lea Palou in an all-female crew, one of 79 entries in the relay event. She will anchor the team in the 13.1 mile run after Medalla negotiates the 1.2 mile swim and Palou covers the 56-mile bike trail.

There are 16 all-female, 27 all-male, 31 mixed gender and five corporate teams competing in the relay.

“Cristina’s ready for it,” said Cone. “She’s a serious runner, doing 14 to 18 kilometers a day then 30 kilometers on weekends. She works out in the gym, too. We’re all excited about the Ironman 70.3.” Cristina, Medalla and Palou are carrying the Army-Navy Southtri team colors.

With 227 participants in the relay, the Ironman 70.3 sequel has 841 total registrants including 604 in the individual class. Among the triathletes who flew in from 34 countries are pros Bozzone and Cameron Brown of New Zealand, Erich Felbabel of Hong Kong and Justin Cole, Leon Griffin, Michellie Jones of the US and Canada’s Magali Tisseyre.

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Expected to threaten Bozzone’s bid for a second straight crown is Brown who finished third in last year’s event. Brown wound up only one minute and six seconds behind Bozzone in a close race. He’s out for pay back.

In the Filipino elite category, defending titlist Noy Jopson is up against a strong field of 10 challengers, including US-based Arland Macasaeb, Neil Catiil and Mark Candelaria.

Jopson, 35, was a whiff away from qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Olympics where triathlon made its debut in the Summer Games but opted to retire from the national pool the year before. The three-time Philippine triathlon champion felt it was time to move on to a new chapter in his life.

“I was receiving P4,000 a month from the Philippine Sports Commission as a national triathlete,” said the 1997 Ateneo graduate. “I thought it was time to concentrate on our family business.”

In 2002, Jopson married national triathlete Amale Mendezona and a year later, decided to go back to competitive triathlon, this time beyond the Olympic limits. Today, Jopson lives in Cebu – where he manages his family’s security services company – with his wife and their two children, Mikele, 4, and Rafa, 1.

For topping the Filipino elite category last year, Jopson got a ticket to compete at the Ironman 70.2 world championships in Clearwater, Florida. His trip was sponsored by Cobra Energy Drink, Alaska and Timex. He chopped off 17 minutes from his Cam-Sur time that was good for 10th place overall and clocked 4:21.27. Jopson said if he times in the same in the Cam-Sur sequel as in Clearwater, it may be enough to retain the crown.

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Sunrise Events project director Princess Galura said today’s Cam-Sur event will be an affair to remember. It’ll be more spectacular, impressive and colorful than last year’s Ironman 70.3 inaugurals.

Alaska president and CEO Fred Uytengsu heads Sunrise as chairman and he’s relishing his role as chief organizer this year. Sunrise has made a name for itself globally as a major player in the business of hosting sports tourism events. After the Ironman 70.3 sequel, Sunrise will stage the Exterra off-road, bike-and-run fun competition at Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna, where the contestants go through the last 100 meters in muddy conditions. The event, called “Putik Pare,” is set on Nov. 7.

Uytengsu said the success of last year’s Ironman 70.3 in Cam-Sur has put the Philippines on the world map as a glowing sports hub.

“We’ve increased the participation in the Ironman 70.3 by 44 percent with 11 more countries sending entries,” said Uytengsu. “People are here from abroad because they heard how everyone had such a treat last year. I think we’re succeeding in our mission to promote the Philippines as a viable and friendly sports destination for tourists.”