SEVEN pro triathletes will test their mettle in the final race of Sunrise Events for the year, the Bellevue 5150 Triathlon in Panglao, Bohol, this Sunday.
The race will be the sixth and final race of the year organized by Sunrise Events, the organizer of the prestigious IronMan 70.3 Philippines and the Xterra Philippines.
Leading the list of contenders in the upcoming race is back-to-back defending champion Sam Betten of Australia, who will take on IronMan 70.3 Philippines grand slam champion and fellow Aussie Timothy James Reed. Also joining are veteran pro triathletes Dan Brown and Gabriel Manner of Rwanda.
In the women’s side, Dimity Lee Duke of Australia is looking to capture the vacated title since reigning champion Flora Duffy won’t be back to defend her crown.
But Duke will be up against a tough cast composed of fellow Aussie Kerry Morris and American Laurel Wassner.
The Asian Elite class will be featuring 11 of the best Filipino triathletes headed by defending champion Jorry Ycong and veteran Joseph Miller, John Philip Dueñas, many-time IronMan 70.3 Philippines Asian elite champion August Benedicto, Jonard Saim and Boholano triathletes Paul Jumamil and Emmanuel Comendador.
The rest of the men’s Asian elite competitors are Sam Burns, Mark Anthony Hosana and Edward Vincent Macalalad.
The race will feature a 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run course in the scenic island of Panglao. Aside from the 5150 distance, there will be a sprint race that will have a distance of 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run.