SOME 75 triathletes have confirmed their participation in the 2nd Talisay Triathlon Race which will start and end at the Talisay City Fish Port as part of the city’s American Landing Celebration.
The Chiongbian brothers – Justin and Yuan of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu will return to the event which kicked off their triathlon careers. Both brothers were first-timers in the sport when they ruled their respective divisions in last year’s event.
Among the top Cebuano triathletes seeing action are Franz Baguio, Loveleinell Casidsid, Philip Duenas, members of SugbuTriathlon led by Anton Regis and the Parklane Hotel team led by Alan Ting.
Talisay City councilor Samsam Gullas, who heads the sports committee, said that due to last year’s success, they increased the number of entries from 100 to 150.
Event organizer Hazel Busa said that aside from the locals, participants will also be coming from Dipolog, Davao and Maasin, Leyte with Benjoe Gimenez as race director.
Busa said that this year they have undertaken some improvements like the transition area in the swim leg wherein a lot of participants slipped last year due to the rubber matting used to cover the concrete slab that participants have to step on after coming out of the water.
According to Busa, they will replace the rubber matting with sand bags to also protect the participants from barnacles that stick to the concrete slabs immersed in the seawater. Fish nets will also be used to clear the swim area of whatever debris that will be carried by the current. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON