Mexican Mauricio Mendez and Czech Radka Kahlefeldt gear up for a tougher, challenging face-off with the very best in long-distance triathlon races as they go for back-to-back in the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao presented by Petron on March 24.
The duo bested a crack roster of rivals in contrasting fashions to rule the inaugural staging of the event at Azuela Cove last year with Mendez, 23, and Kahlefeldt completing a “double” by ruling the Asia-Pacific Championship in Cebu last August.
That should make them the marked bets in the upcoming 1.9K swim, 90K bike, 21K run event organized and conducted by Sunrise Events, Inc., which has lured close to 2,200 entries from 38 countries.
Mendez is out to better his mark of 3:50:32 which he logged in winning by a come-from-behind manner. Kahlefeldt is seeking to improve her 4:25:38 time that gave her a victory in wire-to-wire fashion.
The two will face 16 pro triathletes seeking not only top honors but also World Championship berths. In men’s, Aussies Tim Reed, Sam Betten and Tim Van Berkel, German Markus Rolli, Frenchman Antony Costes and Bahrain’s Eric Watson should figure in the title hunt.