Ready Robins seeks to bag elusive 5150 trophy

Foiled twice over, Mitch Robins aims to strike gold this time, armed with a confidence and a training he hopes will help fuel his drive for the elusive crown in the Black Arrow Express 5150 on Nov. 4 in Subic.

He came in five minutes behind Sam Betten in his second straight bridesmaid finish to his fellow Australian campaigner last year but the Port Macquarie native feels he’s ready to finish first.

The 30-year-old champion of last year’s Bali, Indonesia, triathlon and former winner of Ironman 70.3 Japan and Port Macquarie will also be trying to duplicate his victory in Subic in 2013.

But Betten is also keen on extending his reign in the country’s triathlon capital after completing a three-peat last year. Jakub Langhammer of the Czech Republic, American Tim Linn and Dan Brown, also of Australia, are part of the tough cast in the men’s Elite pro side of the event set over the Olympic distance of 1.5k swim, 40K bike and 10K run.

Like Robins, Langhammer, Linn and Brown are all coming into the event all-geared up and all focused on stopping Betten, guaranteeing a spirited battle for top honors.