5150 race roars off in Panglao, Bohol on Sunday

Organizers, Sun Life officials, Bohol LGU and provincial government officials, and actor Piolo Pascual (third from left) pose for a group photo during the presser of the Sun Life 5150 & Go For Gold Triathlon on Saturday, July 8, 2023. | By Glendale Rosal.

PANGLAO, Bohol — The Province of Bohol will once again roll its red carpet for the Philippines “race-cation (race vacation),” the Sun Life 5150 & Go For Gold Sprint Triathlon race, which unfolds on Sunday, July 9, 2023.

A total of 615 triathletes coming from all over the Philippines and other countries will test their mettle in the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40k bike, and 10k run, covering the towns of Panglao and Dauis.

What makes this edition of the 5150 race more special than its previous editions was the recent inclusion of Bohol as one of 18 newest global geoparks of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

With that in mind, the race’s organizer, Sunrise Events Inc., vowed to further promote Bohol to more triathletes in the future.

“Even before they were given that award and distinction, we’re certain believers of Bohol already. We know it’s just a matter of time before this place is acknowledged in a big way. Thank God noong na acknowledge sila, nandoon na kami, parang certified that our choice of host was really good. So, it will really get better from here kasi andami nang pumupunta dito sa Bohol,” said Sunrise Events Inc. general manager and Ironman Group’s Princess Galura during the media presser on Saturday, July 8.

Also present during the presser at the race venue at the Bellevue Hotel and Resort was Sun Life ambassador and race participant and actor Piolo Pascual.

They were joined by Rep. Maria Vanessa Aumentado of the second district of Bohol, Vice Governor Dionisio Balite Jr., and LGU representatives from Dauis and Panglao.

The 5150 race coincides with the month-long celebration of Bohol’s Sandugo Festival this July. According to Galura, this month hotels and resorts on the island scored the biggest revenue for the year.

“The month of July, I was told is the biggest revenue in terms of hotels in Bohol, so congratulations to the Province of Bohol and everyone here in Panglao,” added Galura.

For his part, Pascual, who will be competing in the relay category as a biker, said that Bohol was a perfect venue for triathlon events like this which helps promote the island as a tourism destination.

“I believe Bohol is very nice. When I was here for a week, bitin pa rin siya. I hope it gets promoted even more with events like this,” said Pascual who will be joined by fellow celebrity Matteo Guidicelli in the race.

Full Road Closure

Meanwhile, the 40k bike course that will traverses the national highway connecting the towns of Dauis and Panglao will be fully closed to vehicular traffic on Sunday. This was announced by a representative from the Panglao LGU after assessing last year’s race which had a half-road closure.

The decision to totally close the road to vehicular traffic was a means to ensure the safety of the participants. Besides, the entire race will only lasts for about 3-5 hours and diversion routes are readily available for motorists.

Galura also guaranteed the participants that they’ve already notified locals to tie their dogs to prevent road accidents as it became a concern in last year’s race.

Triathletes from the United States, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, and Switzerland will be joining the race that include 11 age groups.

Overall, it’s an all systems go for tomorrow’s race which fires off at 6:20 a.m. for the 5150 race, while the Go for Gold Sprint is set at 8 a.m.

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