Foreign, local bets join Regent 5150 tri

OVER 700 triathletes, from newcomers to elite performers, put their strength and stamina to a test when the Regent 5150 Triathlon fires off tomorrow in Subic, Zambales.

The huge field of foreign and local bets look to conquer the standard 1.5K swim-40K bike-10K run distance that gets going in the open water of Acea Beach before heading to the punishing roads along Subic Bay.

Australian Sam Betten vies to defend his male pro title, while compatriot Dimity-Lee Duke targets the female pro crown this time after settling for a runner-up finish last year.

Other favorites are Slovakia’s Michal Bucek and Australia’s Mitch Robins in the men’s race and New Zealand’s Amelia Rose Watkinson and Australia’s Michelle Duffield in the women’s bracket.

Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, president of race producer and organizer Sunrise Events, Inc., said the competition also hopes to encourage more people to try the sport with a new category that features a shorter distance.

“While we recognize that people may have an Ironman or Ironman 70.3 event as a bucket list item, we also realize that you need to start somewhere and this event does exactly that,” said Uytengsu.

“The distance is still challenging for the novice triathlete and we hope to encourage many individuals to start with this distance.”

Uytengsu said the new Sunrise Sprint category, or the S2 race, runs a 750m swim-20K bike-5K run distance. Jasmine W. Payo