Bread Warriors team eyes bigger triathlon race next year

Members of the Bread Warriors Triathlon Team pose for a group photo after their successful maiden triathlon event dubbed as “89 Bread Triathlon,” on April 2, 2022. | Contributed Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — After a successful staging of their first non-competitive triathlon event on April 2, 2022, the Bread Warriors Sports Team is ready to host a bigger race next year.

The triathlon event dubbed the “89 Bread Triathlon,” was held at the Ikigai Beach Resort in Medellin town, north Cebu. 

It featured a two-kilometer swim, 66k bike, and 21k run that traversed Medellin up to the tip of Cebu Island in Daanbantayan. 

However, it was only exclusive to Bread Warriors Sports’ members to maintain health and safety protocols.

Although it’s not confirmed that it was the first on-site triathlon event held in Cebu for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, nonetheless the race capped off successfully.

According to one of the organizers, Richel Sale, they organized the triathlon event to celebrate his and teammate Jimpaul Rubi’s birthdays. 

“The total distance 89-kilometers was the combined number of our age, pero exclusive usa ta sa Bread Triathlon team kay mahulog sad to namo ug murag dry run para sa open triathlon event nga giplano namo next year,” Sale, an Airline pilot and a full-Ironman distance finisher, told CDN Digital. 

(The total distance of 89 kilometers was the combined number of our age, but this is excluse for now to the Bread Triathlon team because it would seem like this is a dry run for the open triathlon event that we planned to hold next year.)

More than 20 triathletes, all members of the Bread Triathlon Team joined the event last April 2. 

According to Sale, the experience was very satisfying considering most of the members of the team haven’t joined a triathlon race since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Nindot ang pamati, lipay kaayo. Ang uban ilaha gyud gi cherish ang swim, ang bike, ang run, ang uban mo kiss sa road, lipay gyud,” said Sale. 

(It was a wonderful feeling, we are so happy. Others cherished the swim, bike run while others kissed the road, they were so happy.)

“Ideal kaayo ang route, mingaw ang dan, flat ang bike course gikan sa Medellin to Bantayan. Ang medyo lisud lang nakastart mi late na, mga 10 AM na siguro mi nakastart, init na kaayo ug dagko na sad ang waves, kusog na pud ang current, pero overall, nindot ang race,” he said.

(The route is ideal, the road is deserted, the bike course is flat from Medellin to Bantayan. What was challenging though was that we started late, around 10 AM. It was already hot, the waves getting bigger and the current was strong, but overall, the race was really nice.)

He added that they planned to extend two kilometers in the bike category every year, so their participants could look forward to an added challenge and excitement. 

Sale said that their team had been in the local and major triathlon scene for the past eight years with mostly age groupers, but many have already finished the Ironman 70.3 distance. 

“Ang main goal gyud namo to organize a race like that is to revive the sport of triathlon aside sa inamigohay nga race unya gusto sad namo i promote ang sports tourism sa area. And hopefully, mahimo ni siyang charitable race with the coordination with the LGU na didto,” added Sale. 

(Our main goal to organize a race like that is to revive the sport of triathlon aside from the friendly races and we also want to promote sports tourism in the area. And hopefully, this will become a charitable race with the coordination of the LGU here.)

The race was supervised by veteran race director, Joel Baring of Sports and Fitness Enthusiasts (SAFE). 

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