TRAP sees big 2002 season for triathlon

Triathlon will have another robust season in 2002 with the second Asian Duathlon Championships in November as the main highlight, Tom Carrasco, Triathlon Association of the Philippines president, announced.

The Subic International Triathlon, one of the top stops in Asia Cup series, will celebrate its 10th anniversary on June 2. Australian Nicole Hackett, 2000 world champion, who established the country’s all-comers record last year, is expected to defend her title.

The first major event will be the National Triathlon Trials and third Inter-Club Championships (The Iloilo Challenge) set in Iloilo City Jan. 26.

A sprint triathlon in Ayala Alabang will kick off on Jan. 6 the season that will also see the Fit & Tri Youth Triathlon series for Seven-to 18-year olds going national from March to December.

The second National Age-Group series will also run from March to December with five legs on tap.

For the sturdier bunch, the Philippine Half-Ironman (3K swim, 90K bike and 21K run (half-marathon) will be staged in October with the male and female champions earning berths in the All-Japan Strongman.

The national triathletes will see action in the September Asian Triathlon Championships in China where the men’s team will be gunning to better its fourth-place finish in 2001 and the Asia Cup series.

Philippine record breakers will represent the country in the World Triathlon Championships in Cancun, Mexico in November.

Events in the calendar include Valentri (Feb. 2- 3), Alegre Sunrise Long Distance Triathlon (Sogod, Cebu Feb. 23), Araw ng Davao Triathlon (Davao City March 10), San Pablo Triathlon (San Pablo City, Laguna March 31), SPEEDO-TLP Exterra Challenge (Mabini, Batangas April), Double Sprint Triathlon (May), Dumaguete Mayflower Triathlon (Dumaguete City May), Bacolod Talisay City Triathlon (September) and General Santos City Triathlon (September).