SUNRISE Events Inc. (SEI) Founder Wilfred Uytengsu expects a high-caliber competition when the Bellevue Resort 5i50 Triathlon returns to Panglao Island, Bohol, on November 6.
Defending champions Sam Betten and Dimity Lee Duke are also returning to the final triathlon event for this year and they are upbeat of their chances but wary of the elite field out to foil their back-to-back title bids.
The Australian duo dominated the 1.5k-swim, 40-k bike and 10-k run event last year but will be in for a tougher challenge this time with a crack set of rivals all primed up for a shot at 5i50 honors and the $2,000 top prize in both sides.
“We are excited because more than 600 triathletes are expected to compete from 25 countries,” said Uytengsu during the press launch of the event on Tuesday at the Bellevue Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
“It’s the end of the year and this is for those who want to stay active and continue to hone their skills. We have a fantastic course out there [in Bohol] and the roads are really first class,” Uytengsu added.
Ryan Chan, managing director of the Bellevue Hotels and Resort, said the event is one way to promote sports tourism in the province.
“The best thing to promote it is through triathlon. And we are grateful to be the title sponsor of this event,” Chan said.
“Our trust is to push sports tourism aligned with the government plan. And the best way is to get those 600 athletes to compete here,” Chan added.
Bohol Provincial Administrator Alfonso Demalerio II said the province is ready to host the international event.
“As host, the role of the local government unit is to provide safety and security to the athletes,” Demalerio said.
Aside from Betten and Duke, also entered in the event are fellow Aussies Alexander Polizzi and Michelle Duffield, Amelia Rose Watkinson of New Zealand and local based Dan Brown and top Filipina elite Monica Torres along with the top triathletes from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Europe, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“This is going to be exciting. Betten and Duke will be hard-pressed to score a repeat with the rest of the cast coming into the event in top form, guaranteeing a wide-open race for top honors,” Uytengsu said.
He added that the defending champions are coming back not only because they want to defend their titles, but also because they genuinely love Bohol and Panglao Island.
To spice up the twin events, a 5i50 Expo Open and Bike Service Open will be held on November 4 and 5 at The Bellevue Pavilion.
Action is also expected to be fierce and tight in the elite division, which offers P30,000 to the winners in the men’s and women’s categories.
SEI and Bellevue Resort, a world-class resort on the coastline of Panglao Island in Bohol, have also lined up a challenging course with the swim stage to start in the shores of Bellevue Hotel. The bike and run legs will be relatively flat but also feature narrow roads and hilly areas.
Meanwhile, SEI is also putting up the Sunrise Sprint, a short distance race series and a sub-category of The Bellevue 5i50 featuring a 750-meter swim, a 20-k bike and a 5-k run held for the second time this year but first in Bohol.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes