Xterra triathlon unfurls today

CEBU, Philippines - Over 300 athletes, including pros from over 40 countries, are all raring to plunge into action as the Vaseline Men Xterra Off-Road Triathlon Series, the world’s off-road triathlon event, gets underway today in the municipality of Liloan, Cebu.

The exciting weekend will kick off with the Xterra Lite where participants negotiate a grueling 500-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5K run.

A trail run, which will feature a more demanding course in 21K, 10K and 5K for males and females, is expected to spice up the weekend.

On Sunday, the participants will take on a more challenging course that will bring the local and foreign entries to the pristine waters and rough but picturesque terrains of Liloan. The Xterra Phl Championship will have them tackle a more gruelling 1.5K swim, 35K, bike and 10K race.

At stake in the annual spectacle organized by Sunrise Events of Wilfred Steven Uytengsu is the top purse worth $15,000 for the professionals and P120,000 for the top Filipino finisher plus 41 slots to this year’s Xterra World Championships, considered the Olympics of triathlon, in Maui, Hawaii.

Ben Allen is  back to defend his title against a super strong field that will include last year’s runner-up Oliver Marceau, Dan Hugo, Sam Gardner, Matt O’Halloran, Rory Downie, Shahrom Andullah and Bradley Weiss, while two-time world champ Lesley Patterson will be the favorite in the women’s side.

Presented by Vaseline Men, the two-day tilt is  sponsored by The Philippine STAR, sister-compant of The FREEMAN, LBC Solutions, Alaska, Summit Water, Multisport, Studio 23, Gatorade, Canon, Aqua Sphere, David’s Salon, Intercare, Rocktape, Timex, Smart and municipality of Liloan under the leadership of Mayor Duke Frasco. (FREEMAN)