Triathletes will push themselves to the limit in Panglao

PANGLAO ISLAND, Philippines – Some 750 triathletes coming from different countries will be seeing action in the Safeguard for Men 5i50 Triathlon on Sunday, November 8. It will be Sunrise Events, Inc.’s final triathlon race for 2015, set here in the beautiful island of Panglao.

Aside from the locals, participants will be coming from Australia, Sweden, Canada, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia, among others.

Of the 750, 7 are pros while the rest are a mix of seasoned triathletes looking to end the year with a fun and relaxing race; and novices who want to try their hand in this lung-busting swim-run-bike event.

They will be conquering a 1.5-kilometer swim set at the waters infront of The Bellevue Resort then complete a 40-km bike ride through Dauis before closing out the race with a 10-km run.

With last year’s pros champions – Australians Josh Amberger for the men’s and Ashleigh Gentle for the women’s – not around to defend their titles, runners-up Michael Murphy and Belinda Granger will have a chance to grab the race’s highest honors.

Murphy, who is also from Australia, will have to contend with fellow Australians Sam Betten, Mitch Robins and Justin Granger for the men’s title.

Granger, for her part, will battle it out against Dimity Lee-Duke, who is also from Australia, and Philippine’s very own Monica Torres.

For the All-Filipino Elite men’s and women’s category, only Banjo Norte is back to defend his title while Cebu’s Lorhiz Echavez-Lopez will have to take a raincheck for this year’s race as she is pregnant with her second child.

The pros were presented during the press conference held November 7 at the Pavillion of The Bellevue Resort which was attended by Sunrise Events, Inc. president Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Bohol Province administrator Alfonso Damalerio, Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero and The Bellevue Resort Manager Rommel Gonzales.

This is the third time that the event is set at the beautiful island of Panglao and hosted by the municipalities of Dauis and Panglao and The Bellevue Resort.

Damalerio, Montero and Gonzales were one in thanking Sunrise Events, Inc. for bringing the event back to the island for the third time and helping making Panglao the sports capital of Bohol province.

Granger’s last race

The press conference took on a melancholic atmosphere after Granger confirmed that this will be her last race in her triathlon career.

Granger is a 15-time IronMan distance champion and an IronMan Hall of Famer in Australia.

Granger and her husband have become permanent installments in all Sunrise Events, Inc. triathlon races since they took part in the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Camsur in 2010.

“Tomorrow is 100 percent my last race. I am not signed for any other race. I will go out and have fun as I always do,” Granger confirmed.

“The sports has given me so much for the last 24 years, I couldn’t very well imagine when I first started I’d make this my career. I don’t want to be greedy. I’m quite happy to make this my last race.”

The other pros thanked Granger for being a mother to them, for guiding them while Uytengsu thanked her for being a great ambassador of the sport.

They also credited her for playing a key role in getting them to race here in the Philippines.

Her husband and coach, Justin Granger, also honored her for continuing to be an inspiration for many triathletes.

Granger, however, promised that she will not be staying away from triathlon altogether and as she has made the Philippines her second home, she will be back here often as well.

Uytengsu also announced that Granger will be a guest in next year’s IronMan 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship. – Rappler.com