Cobra Ironman big guns hit town

PILI, Camarines Sur—“Survival.”

That’s the ominous, oft-repeated word conveyed by the Elite division campaigners yesterday after setting foot on this hot and humid province for the third running of the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines Triathlon tomorrow at the CamSur Watersports Complex here.

“I just hope that I survive the run,” defending men’s champion Pete Jacobs of Australia said during Friday’s “Meet the Pros” activity witnessed not only by the media but by a big number of participants as well.

“I want to race here very well,” added Jacobs, who won here last year with an impressive time of three hours and 58 minutes.

“This is not all about running super fast times because of the heat and all,” heavy women’s favorite Belinda Granger said. “It will boil down to whoever takes care of himself the most (in the stages before the 21km run). It will be all about survival out there.”

The run, the final phase of the gruelling test of strength, is set over a stretch of sun-burnt roads that cut across rice fields.

The veritable best in the world are here, with Jacobs gunning for victory for the second straight year and Granger for the first time.

Out to thwart the duo are a host of crack athletes, including two-time World Ironman runner-up Cameron Brown of New Zealand, and fellow Aussies Luke Gilmer and Justin Granger, Belinda’s husband.

More than 1,100 athletes will see action in several divisions tomorrow.