Actor Gerald Anderson provided celebrity power at Tri United Standard Exceed. He raced with fellow members of Team De Rosa. For somebody who stopped racing for a few years, he had a good performance, among the top 12 in the 25-29 age group.
“I did a triathlon once in 2013, but then I stopped. It feels good to be back. I like triathlon racing because when you race you always push yourself to the limit. Definitely, this will be the first of many,” said Anderson, who has since participated in a duathlon and is scheduled to join Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT). His current teleserye (soap opera) is also about triathletes.
Tri United Standard Exceed, the first of the ActiveHealth triathlon series organized by Bike King, sets the bar high anew in the local triathlon scene. The opening salvo of the Tri United series attracted an all-time high of 1,000 plus participants, a record for the series and for Subic, dubbed as the triathlon capital of the Philippines.
It was a back-to-back win for Mitch Robins, who also topped the race last year. “It is my third time participating in Tri United. I had such a nice swim, tough bike ride, and a nice run, too. The crowd support was amazing. I like to race here in the Philippines. I always have good memories of racing here,” said the Australian triathlete.
Robins was closely followed by second and third placers Nikko Huelgas and John Leerams Chicano, respectively. It was a good comeback for Huelgas in Tri United, because the last time he joined was about two years ago.
“The race was very well-organized. The weather was calm. The crowd really motivated us. This race gave me a really good opportunity to know my fitness level for upcoming big races. I felt good, and I really had a good performance in this race,” said Huelgas, who is currently training in Gran Canaria, Spain.
“My goal is just to push myself to the limit. Hopefully, I gain many lessons from the triathlon camp and apply them in upcoming big races with Asian champs on July 20 and SEA Games on Aug 23,” the champion triathlete added.
Tri United Standard Exceed also set a record in terms of number of teams that participated, 19 in total. Rider Omega Pro Tri Team topped the team competition followed by Sante Barley and Fitness First.
According to ActiveHealth’s Operating Vice President Antonio Mapa, “Tri United Standard Exceed is really a test for triathletes, and it is their way of preparing for other events in the calendar whether here or abroad.”
The 1.5km swim-40 km bike-10km run, according to race organizer Bike King, is a course perfect for beginners who want to give tri a chance, age-groupers raring to chalk up another PR (personal record) and veterans who want to make a comeback.
ActiveHealth’s races this year included Run United Exceed 2017 on April 2 in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Tri United Long Distance Exceed on July 2 in Subic. Triathletes are encouraged to register early for the ActiveHealth’s second triathlon to avail of slots. Online registration can be done through www.bikekingphilippines.com.
Starting this year, ActiveHealth will have fewer events than in the previous years. According to Mapa, “We decided that we would focus on fewer events and make sure that those events will really allow us to give our target consumers a chance to exceed their performance, because that’s really what our brand is about. That is also our promise to people, for them to exceed themselves.”
They will also partner with at least a dozen other races this year which will be “Powered by ActiveHealth”, many of which will be held in the provinces. “We are geared towards supporting the active community and reaching out to other sports aside from running and triathlon,” cited Mapa.
Tri United Standard Exceed is brought to us by Enervon HP, Carb Gel, Enervon Activ, Standard Insurance, Orbea, Weather Philippines, PACE, Nuun, and Official Time Keeper TAG Heuer.
For more information and registration details of upcoming events, visit ActiveHealth’s social media pages and website:https://www.activehealth.ph/events/.