Matthew Justine Hermosa (left) and Nicole Marie Del Rosario (right). | 5150 and Go For Gold photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Talisay City’s triathlon prodigy, Matthew Justine Hermosa, delivered a dominant performance at the 5150 Triathlon Dapitan on Sunday, securing the overall championship in the men’s category.
The 19-year-old Hermosa, a Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist, completed the Olympic-distance race in an impressive 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 57 seconds. This victory in Dapitan marked his first participation in the event, earning him the top prize of P65,000.
Hermosa demonstrated his prowess in all three legs of the race, clocking a swift 17:57 in the 1.5-kilometer swim, a strong 1:00:22 in the 40-kilometer bike segment, and capping it off with a 37:17 finish in the 10-kilometer run.
READ: Cebu’s Matthew Justine Hermosa wins gold in 32nd SEA Games
“It has always been my goal to make the Hermosa name known in the sport of triathlon. This is one step towards that goal,” Hermosa shared.
READ: Cebuano triathlete to test mettle in Asian Sprint C’Ships in China
“I feel honored to be recognized as one of the bagong bayani (new heroes). I’m grateful to the organizers and everyone who supported the event.”
5150 Dapitan
READ: TLTG bets Hermosa, Del Rosario shine in Go For Gold Sprint
Elite triathlete Satar Salem secured second place with a time of 1:58:08, while Dayshaun Ramos claimed third, finishing in 2:01:46. Rounding out the top five were Jethro Karl Ramos in fourth (2:07:32) and Michael Acas in fifth (2:07:45).
In the women’s division, Nicole Arielle Andaya took top honors with a time of 2:36:01.
Meanwhile, in the Go For Gold Sprint race, Cebu’s Nicole Marie Del Rosario triumphed, clocking 1:11:32 to claim the overall title. She was joined by Paul Jumamil, who topped the men’s category in the same event.