A fast and exciting contest is shaping up for Sunday’s 2nd Hermosa Triathlon, the climax of the city’s monthlong “celebration of colors” called the La Hermosa Festival.
Triathletes and relay entries from all over the country, particularly from Mindanao, make up the motley field of beginners and elite athletes as the city tries to stamp itself as a major sports tourism destination.
Headlining the elite field is Claire Adorna, women’s triathlon champion of the 2015 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore and mixed relay gold medalist in 2019 SEA Games in Subic.
Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe is expected to beat the gong to start off the 1.6-kilometer swim off the city’s Plaza del Mar, a 45-km bike ride through the Zamboanga West Coastal Road and an 11-km run through the scenic RT Lim Boulevard.
The race is organized by Fuerza Multisports—the event organizing arm of Trimac Coaching under head coach and race director Jojo “Jomac” Macalintal, with help from Zamboanga Trail Runners.