Zamboanga hosts first major race

More than 200 athletes are expected to show up when the Compressport Hermosa Triathlon starts on Sunday in Zamboanga City.

A bulk of the participants will come from the Zamboanga Peninsula and the rest of talent-rich Mindanao, and will be competing in the first major triathlon event in the city.

The event involves a 1.6-kilometer swim off the city’s Paseo del Mar, a 43-km bike ride through the highway and a 12-meter run through loops around the city streets to the seaside Cawa-Cawa Boulevard, finishing in front of Zamboanga’s iconic City Hall.

The event follows the official launch of the city’s annual Hermosa Festival, the oldest cultural and religious festival in the country, which honors Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar, the city’s patron saint.

The multisport event is organized by Fuerza Multisport, headed by top triathlon coach and race director Jojo Macalintal. Christian Olasiman, head of special events of the city mayor’s office, is the organizer of the Hermosa Festival.