Zamboanga City, the cultural center of the South, joins the ranks of the country’s major sports tourism destinations with the first Compressport Hermosa Triathlon on Oct. 13 as part of the city’s annual celebration of La Hermosa Festival.
The event was launched on Friday (July 19) at Unison Bikes, distributor of the sponsoring Compressport, in Quezon City and will be presented to the public by the City of Zamboanga on Aug. 1 at Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
The first major triathlon event in the city is organized by Fuerza Multisport in cooperation with the city government of Zamboanga.
The swim-bike-run event involves a 1.6-kilometer swim, a 45-km bike and an 11-km run—all within city limits. Competition will be in the elite categories, five age groups each for men and women, and the all-men, all-women and mixed relays.
It will be the climax of the monthlong celebration of color, pageantry and solemnity that make up La Hermosa, the oldest cultural and religious festival in the country. The centuries-old festival is held in honor of Our Lady of Pilar, which is why it is popularly known as the Fiesta Pilar.