IronKids champion Juan Francisco Baniqued. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson
LAPU-LAPU CITY — Dominating their age group for the past few years, Juan Francisco Baniqued and Tara Borlain are both out for a fitting curtain call as they join in their final Alaska IronKids on Saturday at the Shangri-La Mactan here.
Graduating from the 14-and-below age group, the former champions seek for one last victory lap as they banner the young triathletes for one last time.
As in the past stagings of the event, the Biñan, Laguna-born Baniqued is once again the favorite to win the boys’ 13-14 category after ruling for the past two years.
Out to deny him of a three-peat are Joe Bernard Sarmiento and Jose Manuel Arao, as the field gun to dislodge Baniqued out of his throne in the grueling 12.4-kilometer course.
Tara, meanwhile, bested her older sister Sam last year as the Borlains once again finished 1-2 in the girls’ 13-14 category.
Ruling the swim-bike-run event since joining the field five years ago, Borlain hopes to extend that reign in her final IronKids run.
However, Karen Andrea Manayon and Everly Jana Macalalad emerge as the biggest threat to snare away her tiara.
A total of 335 young triathletes, including 72 participants (24 teams) in the relays, will partake in the 400-meter swim, 9-kilometer bike, and 3-kilometer run course which will start and end at the Shangri-La Mactan parking lot.
All in all, 263 budding triathletes answered the challenge, comprised of 155 boys and 108 girls divided into four age groups.
Younger triathletes will join in the Category 1 (short) and Category 2 (long) races.