Mitch Robins ended fellow Australian Sam Betten’s 5150 reign with a fiery windup while a solid start propelled Guam’s Manami Iijima past favorite Dimity Lee Duke as they crowned themselves inaugural Black Arrow Express 5150 pro champions in Subic on Sunday.
Robins and Betten fought on even terms in the swim and bike stages but the former unleashed a stronger finishing kick in the last of the two-loop run part to foil the three-peat champion’s bid and nail his second Philippine championship in the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40K-bike and 10K run race.
“In any day, a win is a good day. Sam (Betten) is such a tough competitor, he’s beaten me so many times,” said Robins, who also won here in 2013 as a first-time Philippine visitor. “But today, I simply managed the heat a little bit better and that gave me an advantage in the end.”
The 30-year-old champion of last year’s Bali, Indonesia triathlon and former winner of Ironman 70.3 Japan and Port Macquarie settled for runner-up honors in the last two Subic 5150 races which Betten ruled to complete a rare three-peat.
Robins timed 1:54:56, besting Betten who wound up with 1:56:03 in the first of three Olympic distance triathlon races sponsored by Black Arrow Express and organized by Sunrise Events, Inc.
Iijima secured the women’s pro crown right in the swim leg where she posted a remarkable 20:29 clocking for a huge three-minute cushion over Duke, winning in 2:13:56 against Duke’s 2:14:58.