SUBIC BAY Freeport - UNILAB Active Health’s triathletes Benjamin Rana Jr. and Ani Karina de Leon-Brown ruled the Elite divisiob even as new faces Juan Carlos Abad and Christianne Nicolle de Vera dominated the Teens division in Sunday’s TRI United 3 here.
Billed as the Elite and Age Group Championships, the third edition of Tri United series attracted 464 participants to the former US Navy base that has establised itself as a popular tri sport venue.
Rana negotiated the 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run in two hours, five minutes and 37 seconds as he defeated UAH teammates Mark Anthony Husana (2:11:00) and Philip Atento (2:13:58).
It was Rana's first victory since 2011 in triathlon races held in Subic.
“Noong 2011 pa akong huling nanalo sa Subic. Sumali ako sa TRI United 1 at third place lang ako kaya talagang nag-train ako para rito. Tulad ng dati, masama ang swim ko pero bumawi uli sa bike at run,” said the 28-year-old Naga City native.
UAH coach De Leon-Brown needed to be at her best in the run leg to turn back the challenge of Kristina Beckendorf for line honors among the female competitors.
“I really thought it was going to be more of a relaxing race for me until I noticed that Kristina was slowly gaining on me in the run So in the end, I really needed to work hard for it,” said De Leon-Brown, who clocked in at 2:33:05.
"But it was a good race although medyo mabagal talaga ako ngayon."
Beckendorf settled for runner-up honors in 2:34:33 but claimed the gold medal in the 35-39 age group.
Sharing the limelight with the four individual winners was Team Santy Barley which dominated with an accumulated time of 27 hours and 15 minutes.
The 15-year old Abad, who traveled all the way from Sta. Ana, La Union, was timed at 1:10:40 for the gold medal in the male 15-16 bracket while 18-year old De Vera, a varsity swimmer from La Salle Taft, clocked in at 1:37:13 for first place in the female 17-19 category.
UNILAB Active Health head Alex Panlilio joined Cuevas in the awarding ceremony.
Other champions in the Teens were Sophia Ysabelle Garcia (female 15-16), Joshua Ranullo Ranque (male 17-19) while Elite Age Group winners in the were Mervin Rencel De Los Santos Santiago and Kriska Rose Marzan Sto. Domingo (20-24), Don Berba Velasco and Angelica Pascual Limjoco (25-29), Andrew Estrella Arellano and Nathalia Marie Tan Benipayo (30-34), Edison Salawad Morales(35-39), Rayzon Galdonez and Roque Endaya (40-44), Joevic Gallo Pajarillo and Mariela Janet Martinez Powell (45-49), Jaime Corea Lopez (male 50-54) and Josef Gueta (male 55-above).
The race was organized by BIKEKING with support from major sponsors Unilab Active Health, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Tourism Department (SBMA), Enervon Active, Enervon HP, I-ON Energy Drink, Hydrite, AboitizPower, Pocari Sweat, TIMEX, Crystal Clear Purified Water, Corima and Orbea.
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