Triathlon wannabes vie in Sunrise Sprint

MANILA, Philippines — Beginners wanting to race without having to worry about long periods of training and those seeking to immerse themselves into triathlon vie in Go for Gold’s Sunrise Sprint on July 10 in Panglao, Bohol.

The short-distance event, featuring 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run, is back with a promise of a more exciting edition among over a hundred participants from at least 23 teams.

Dubbed as S2, the sub-category to the centerpiece Sun Life 5150 Triathlon is also aimed at providing a venue for those making a comeback in the ever-growing sport and at the same time provide quality triathlon experience on an Olympic-style course setup.

Nicole Adlawan (25-29), Raven Alcoseba (20-24), Frances Erediano (15-19), Dato Arroyo (45-49), Earol Belonguil (15-19), Kate Borja (20-24), Renz Corbin (20-24), Philip Geniston (45-49), Lui Besa (25-29), Sui Besa (15-19) and Justine Hermosa (15-19) head the bidders in various age-group categories of the Sunrise Sprint.

“As we leave behind this time of uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is my hope that the start of the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint series will symbolize strength and hope – hope for everyone that things will eventually get better and time to draw strength from each other as we heal around the world,” said Go for Gold PH founder Jeremy Go.

Go for Gold is a sports CSR (corporate social responsibility) arm of Powerball Marketing and Logistics Corp., the licensee of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, which aims to promote nation-building through sports development and create ways to encourage young individuals to pursue excellence through physical literacy.

Also on tap are the men’s and women’s relay and the mixed relay.

The Sunrise Sprint wave start is set at 8 a.m. for the male side and 8:05 a.m. for the women’s at the Bellevue Resort beach.

“Sunrise Sprint is a great opportunity to welcome new and upcoming triathletes, showcasing the growth of the sport,” said Princess Galura, general manager of the organizing The IRONMAN Group and Sunrise Events, Inc.

The triangular, clockwise swim course starts with a 250-meter race before turning right for next 250m and a final right turn for the last stretch of the 750-meter event back at the Doljo beach in Panglao. Water safety personnel will be on hand before and during the race with aid stations at the finish line.

The bike loop will start from Transition I at the Bellevue Resort with the turnaround point at KM 10 before ending at Transition 2, also at the Doljo beach, with aid stations on approximately every 10km.

Since the field is practically made up of beginners, no drafting rules are in place although draft marshals will call them out and ask to separate in case they are dangerously close to each other.

The closing single loop run course will start and end at Transition 2, passing through well-paved and some country roads with the turnaround point along Circumferential Road. Aid stations are approximately at 1km-1.25 km apart.

The swim cut off is 30 minutes on a rolling start while the bike and run legs will have cut-off times of two hours and three hours, respectively.