Rider Omega Tri Team chief and one of NAGT’s race organizer, Paul Jake Castillo, talks to the participants during the race briefing and race kit distribution at the SM Seaside City Cebu.
THE National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) Cebu Leg finally unfolds today at the scenic Boardwalk in the City of Naga, south Cebu, after it was canceled last October.
“Finally it is happening, and we are excited at the same time we are expecting a very good race. The participants went up to join the race despite the postponement because of what happened in Naga City,” said TSE Live Inc. founder Tonyson Luther Lee, who is the overall organizer of the first major triathlon race to happen in the City of Naga.
The race was supposed to happen last October 7 but organizers were forced to postpone it due to the deadly landslide that struck Naga.
A total of 350 triathletes from all around the Philippines will turn the City of Naga into their virtual battleground for triathlon supremacy.
No less than 2017 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgas and silver medalist Claire Adorna will be competing in the elite category along with the country’s top junior triathletes Andrew Kim Remolino and Karen Manayon.
“All of the national team members will represent their own clubs so it is going to be a jam packed race and a star studded race as well because of our elite cast. There are triathletes from Baguio, General Santos and other parts of the country that will compete today. In fact, 60 percent of the participants are from outside Cebu while the rest are from here,” added Lee.
The race briefing and the race kit distribution happened yesterday at the SM Seaside City Cebu.
Aside from the elite open, also to be contested are age group categories, team competition, and relay.
There will be a sprint distance for the elite junior, junior and adult while the super sprint distance is for the 13-15 years old triathletes.
The standard distance will have a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40k bike and 10k run, while the sprint distance is the 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run and the super sprint distance is a 500m swim, 14k bike and 2.5k run.
TRAFFIC
According to Lee, they hired a total of 480 personnel who will man the race course, medical and the traffic to make sure that the event will turn out successfull and prevent a heavy traffic jam during the race.
The road lane heading to Cebu City will be closed fron 5 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
A traffic advisory was released weeks before the race to notify motorists passing the area.
“We already informed everyone about the race, we already gave traffic advisories to Talisay, Minglanilla, San Fernando, and Carcar City to make sure everyone knows that there is a triathlon race. I hope the motorists will be patient enough of the impending traffic jam but we will make sure to open the two lanes as soon as possible,” said Lee.
TOURISM
The City of Naga’s boardwalk is now the main attraction of the city that is why one of the goals of the race organizers is to promote the area and turn it into a tourist destination and a future venue for international triathlon races.