Triathlon Team C’ship Series starts

Some 70 triathletes will converge in Dauis, Bohol today for the 1st leg of the 3-leg Triathlon Team Championship Series which starts at 1 p.m. at the Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground.

The event is the first to be held in the Visayas. It is organized by Sugbu Triathlon which hopes to gather the country’s growing number of triathletes to generate more support for the sport.

Backing up Sugbu Triathlon are Summit Mineral Water and Concepto Primero as well as the local governments of leg venues.

The event is a team contest with each team composed of four members. They will negotiate the standard Olympic distance of 1.5 kilometer swim, 40k bike and 10k run with the winner to be determined by a point system.

Each member of the team will be given points according to their rankings. Points will be accumulated and will make up the team score.

The points that each team accumulates from the three legs will determine its overall ranking.

According to coach Benjoe Gimenez of Sugbu Triathlon, it is not mandatory for the teams to take part in all legs except that their chances of becoming the champion will be diminished as they would miss out on the points staked in each leg.

First place will get 30 points, 2nd place 25 points, 3rd place 20 points, 4th place 17 points, 5th place 16 points, 6th place 15 points and succeeding points. The 20th down to the last finisher will get one point.

Bonus points will also be given in the split rankings for the top 10 finishers.

The champion team will get P15,000 while the first and second runners-up will get P10,000 and P5,000. All three teams will also get trophies.

An individual winner will also be named per leg with P3,000 going to the 1st placer and P2,000 and P1,000 going to the 2nd and 3rd placers, respectively.

A triathlete can only qualify as a team member if he/she first registers as an individual entry.

Teams may also pre-register as many members as long as only four will play during the race itself.

A triathlete not registered during the 1st leg in barred from competing in the succeeding legs.

Aside from triathlon, an ocean man will also be held tomorrow morning.