Xterra Off-Road triathlon March 15; Allen favored

MANILA, Philippines — Two-time Philippine leg champion Ben Allen of Australia will be back to defend his Vaseline Men Xterra Off-Road title when the triathlon series stages its third edition on March 15 in Liloan, Cebu.

Allen, the 2012 and 2013 winner, will be joined by 12 other foreign entries, including PH 2012 female winner Renata Bucher of Switzerland, and Japan’s Mieko Carey, who has topped her country’s Xterra races four times.

Veteran triathlete Noy Jopson heads the local challenge.

Athletes in the full race will tackle a 1.5-kilometer swim leg, a 35-km mountain bike ride and 9.2-km trail run.

The shorter Lite edition is a 500-meter swim-15.5-km bike-5-km run course.

The men’s and women’s winner in the Elite division will pick up  $2,200 (about P100,000) each.

The top age-group finishers will also earn berths to the Xterra world championship in Maui, Hawaii, late this year.

“We are expecting over 400 participants and a more difficult race route,” said Unilever brand manager Jonathan Pua in yesterday’s media launch at Milky Way restaurant in Makati.

Registration ends on March 8. For details, visit www.xterraphil.com.  Romina S. Austria