Another Group Launches Major Triathlon Series in Cebu

(PNA) — Triathlon in Cebu gets another major boost after another player in the local scene announced a three-leg race for this year.

Paramount Property Ventures has launched its Tri-Team championship 2015 series and will hold the first of its three leg in scenic Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island.

Sugbu Triathlon, the organizer of the series, said teams can field as many as seven players per leg.

For this year, registration for the team competition is free as the organizers want as many teams to join the contest.

Last year, only two sister teams dominated the contest–Parklane A and B.

Parklane A was led by Kristiane Lim, who have since turned pro and features dominant triathletes like Ralph Arche, Emmanuel Commendador and Lovely Casidsid.

Since the other teams don’t have a chance to compete for the team title, most of them compete individually only, even if they belong to one squad.

That will change this year.

“Participants who belong to the same team will be automatically enrolled in the team contest,” said Benjoe Gimenez of Sugbu triathlon.

Those who make the top three overall in the men’s and women’s division get the bulk of the points with the winners earning 40.

The runner-ups get 35 points, while the third placers can tally 32 points for the team total.

Those who win the age group divisions will get 30 points for the team contest, with the next two placers earning 25 and 22.

Those who finish dead last can also earn one point for the team as the organizers have decided to award a point to those who finish at 20th or lower in the age group divisions.

With these changes, Sugbu Triathlon is urging teams to field as many entries as possible.

“The team may earn as many points per leg because we will sum up the highest six scorers of the team,” said Gimenez.

A four-person team that has members winning the men’s and women’s overall title and two age group divisions will earn 140 points in a leg but will be overtaken in the team standings by a six-person squad that has members finishing at second place.

Aside from the elite men’s and women’s division, this year’s team triathlon series will have the 29-Under, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 49, and 50-above age groups for the men’s divisions, and the 29-Under, 30 to 39 and 40-above age groups for the women’s divisions.

It will also have the 8-Under, 9 to 10, 11-12 and 13-15 age groups for the kiddies division.

Aside from the standard race, it will have the sprint and relay races.

The standard race covers a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer run and a 10-kilometer run, while the sprint race only has the 750-meter swim, 20K bike and a 5K run.

On the other hand, Paramout Property Ventures say it is joining triathlon to help promote the sport in Cebu since the company president is also an avid triathlon buff.

“This will be our first time to sponsor the tri-team championships and we are doing this to help promote the sport in the country and in Cebu in particular. Our president is also into triathlon as well and will even be joining the race,” said the company’s sales and marketing director Arli Arenas Vergara.

After the Bantayan leg, the race will swing to Ronda for the second leg on Sept. 13, while the final leg will be in Ormoc City on Oct. 4.

The tri-team championships is the second major triathlon event to be launched in Cebu in less than a week.

Last Feb. 12, the Cornerstone Group announced the staging of the Sogod 8080 on May 2 and the San Remigio 8080 on Nov. 14.

The early announcement was meant to give enough time for triathletes to train and to choose which race to join. (PNA) LAM/EB/MP