INQUIRER Sports

PILI, Camarines Sur – The first ever triathlon to be held in Camarines Sur has attracted top international triathletes as the list of participants swelled to about 500 on Wednesday, according to the provincial government.

Triathlon is an endurance sport that combines running, swimming and cycling events.

The Cobra Ironman 70.3, which will be held on August 23 at the Camsur Watersports Complex, is one of the most grueling in the world, according to Governor Luis Raymund "LRay" Villafuerte.

As its name implies, the Ironman covers a total of 113 kilometers or 70.3 miles.

World champion Chris McCormack of the United States was among the top triathletes to officially register for the CamSur event. This year alone, McCormack has already won six races held in France, Germany, Austria, China, Hawaii and California.

New Zealand's Kiwi Cameron Brown and Tim Marr, who won in a triathlon event in China in April, are also among those who had signified intention to compete in CamSur.

Other top international triathletes named by Villafuerte as having enlisted for the Cobra Ironman 70.3 are Lisa Bently from Canada, who holds 11 triathlon titles, and Australian Charlotte Paul, who also won in a triathlon event in China.

Overall, there are more than 50 triathletes competing in the event along with more than 400 locals who have registered in the race.

Villafuerte said the event reflects the provincial government’s efforts to further raise the tourism performance of Camarines Sur.

CamSur now places third, after Boracay and Cebu, as top tourist destinations in the country, according to him.

Triathletes will begin with a 21-kilometer run along rice paddies and the national highway that offers a view of Mount Isarog, followed by a 90-kilometer bike course and a 2-kilometer SWIM in artificial lakes at CWC.