Confident Tim Reed eyes Ironman 70.3 three-peat in ‘amazing’ Cebu

Tim Reed. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

LAPU-LAPU CITY — Brimming with confidence, Tim Reed believes that he’s in the best shape of his life this time of the year.

“I’m extremely fit. I build my season getting strong for this and I’m ready to race,” he said.

The Australian triathlete needs all the positivity he could get as he seeks to reign for the third straight year in Cebu on Sunday in the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines at Shangri-La Mactan here.

Instead of being rattled, Reed could only be excited as he takes on a tough field out to deny him of the rare three-peat.

“I saw the start list and that makes me excited,” he said. “When you got good guys alongside you, it pushes you to a level you wouldn’t do if they weren’t there. We’ll make each other race a lot better.”

Fellow Aussies Tim Van Berkel and Sam Betten lead the biggest threats to Reed’s throne, together with 2016 Xterra world champion Mauricio Mendez of Mexico, Olympian Brent McMahon of Canada, and 12-time New Zealand Ironman winner Cameron Brown.

Still, Reed is defiant as he looks forward to racing through the picturesque Cebu landscape anew

“I think the biggest thing is the energy of this place. What I like is the atmosphere because you can feel the enthusiasm in the Philippines that you don’t find anywhere in the world. We sense it and feel it and that makes racing more enjoyable. The whole experience is something to take it on and think, ‘Wow, it’s so amazing!’ The atmosphere is really the biggest factor,” he said.

Also part of the elite pros partaking in the race are David Mainwaring, Alexander Polizzi and Luke Bell of Australia, Brad Williams and Iain Alexandridis of USA, Braden Currie, Eddie Rawles and Callum Millward of New Zealand, Jakub Langhammer of Czech Republic, Johan Stofberg of South Africa, Jonathan Ciavatella of Italy, and Eric Watson of Bahrain.

In the women’s division, Dimity Lee Duke emerges as the woman-to-beat, but she will face a tough challenge from fellow Aussies Jacqueline Thisleton, Alise Selsmark, Kirra Seidel, Monica Juhart and Kerry Mulholland, Hungarian Anna Eberhardt, Kiwi Amelia Watkinson, and Filipina bet Kim Kilgroe.

Over 2,600 entries from a record 51 countries have are set to race in the grueling 70.3-kilometer leg which will start and end at Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa.

Not only is the top $5,000 purse at stake in the men’s and women’s divisions, but also 30 slots for the 2018 Ironman World Championship in Mandela Bay, South Africa next year.