Top Pros vie for Ironman Honors

Australia’s Pete Jacobs will be back to defend his title at the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 race in Pili, Camarines Sur, on Sunday and from all indications, the durable 29-year-old triathlete seems destined to become the most successful competitor in the history of the rigorous competition.

In 2009, Jacobs placed fourth in the first CamSur Ironman despite emerging first out of the water.  But last year, he wouldn’t be denied the title.  Once more the fastest in the swim leg, Jacobs clocked 3:58.41 to dethrone New Zealand’s Terenzo Bozzone who checked in at 4:05.54.  To be sure, it wasn’t a breeze for Jacobs.  He trailed Bozzone early in the run and came from behind to snatch the crown.

“It feels so nice to win it,” said Jacobs.  “This is my first win in the 70.3 distance and it’s my favorite race.  The support was non-stop.  It was a little bit disorienting.  You couldn’t tell whether you were inside the town or outside.  There were always so many people.  The cheering was non-stop.”

The atmosphere will be even more festive and intense this year as Sunrise Events, Inc. expects a banner turnout with over 1,100 participants from 28 countries.  So far, 11 foreign pros are confirmed to compete.  The males are Pete Jacobs, Luke Gillmer, Cameron Brown, Justin Granger, Dan Brown, Jesse Thomas and Erich Felbabel.  The females are Amanda Stevens, Katya Meyers, Bree Wee and Belinda Granger.

Jacobs took eighth place at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 2009 and the next year, created a stir by running the third-ever fastest marathon in the annual event.  His forte is swimming with the ability to break away early from the pack a trademark.

“Pete’s ability and talent have not gone unnoticed by the heavyweights of the sport and he has been named an ambassador for the John Maclean Foundation, an Australia-based charity that supports young Australians who use wheelchairs,” said a bio profile in Jacobs’ website.  “While winning the Hawaii Ironman is his ultimate goal, Pete is young enough and talented enough to be winning Ironman races for the next 10 years.  His career is still in the early development stages.  He can become the most successful Ironman triathlete ever.”  Jacobs’ chief cheerleader, his wife Jamie Marsh, will make the trip to CamSur to experience the warm Filipino hospitality that foreign visitors glowingly speak of.

A second CamSur title will bring Jacobs a step closer to living his ultimate dream of ruling the Ironman.

Gillmer, an Australian, turned pro early this year and is primed to steal the show from Jacobs.  New Zealand’s Cameron Brown was third in the Ironman 70.3 in the inaugural CamSur event while Felbabel, who carries the Hong Kong colors, was sixth last year.  Brown is coming off a rousing triumph at the Ironman 70.3 in Korea last July.  Australia’s Dan Brown is the Philippine National Triathlon team coach and is a 15-time Ironman finisher.  He used to be an Assistant Coach with the Korean National Triathlon squad.  The US’ Thomas was fifth at the TX3 Kemah Triathlon and 10th at the Vinaman 70.3 this year.  Erich Felbabel is French living in Hongkong.

For the females, Australia’s Granger has been a fixture at the Malaysia Ironman the last three years.  Wee, Meyers and Stevens represent the US.  Wee was third at the Ironman 70.3 in Hawaii and fourth at the first CamSur gathering while Meyers topped the New Balance Half Ironman last year.  Stevens has competed in Ironman events at Lake Placid, China, Malaysia and Hawaii.

Aside from the foreigners, Ironman fans will closely monitor the performance of the Filipino Elite competitors.  Noy Jopson of Cebu won in this category at the first CamSur meet, clocking 4:38.32, good for 10th overall.  Last year, it was Cagayan de Oro’s Neil Catiil’s turn to claim the trophy.  He came in eighth overall.  Jopson, Catiil, Arland Macasieb, Ferdinand Catabian, and 14 others in the elite class will vie for honors this weekend.  The start list also includes celebrities Sen. Pia Cayetano; Head of ABS-CBN Publishing, Ernie Lopez; actor, Richard Gutierrez; TV host, Drew Arellano; former Southeast Asian Games swimming medalist, Eric Buhain; and former PBA cager and  Alaska Aces Assistant Coach, Dickie Bachmann.

The largest concentration of participants is in the 30-34 age group with 185.  The oldest competitor is 65-year-old Nancy Taubner and the youngest is Louis Angelo Naguit, 18.  The relay division is broken down into 30 mixed, 12 corporate, 13 all-female and 44 all-male teams.

For the foreign pros, the total prize money is $15,000 to be split $7,500 for men and women.  The top five male finishers will divide $7,500 and the top five women placers will also share $7,500.  For the Filipino elite, the total prize money is P200,000.  The top three males and females will receive P50,000, P30,000 and P20,000 in that order.  Money isn’t the compelling issue with the top-caliber triathletes.  It’s the challenge of the journey that drives them.  The added attraction is the exciting opportunity for all the participants to compete for 25 slots at the half Ironman in Las Vegas on Sept. 11 and 30 tickets to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii on Oct. 8.

Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr., Chairman of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Milk Corp., said this year’s competition will clamp down on the incidence of drafting in the bike leg.  “A foreign consultant will be in CamSur to address the cycling issue of drafting which is illegal,” he said.  “If you tail a rider closely, you can actually break the wind against you by as much as 30 percent and that’s just not fair to the cyclist ahead.  With Ricky Ledesma from our organizing team, the consultant will make sure there is at least a seven meter distance between riders unless of course, you’re passing a cyclist.  Time penalties will be imposed on violators.  We are committed to preserve the integrity of the race.”

Sunrise General Manager, Princess Galura, said no stone will be left unturned to guarantee the most memorable Ironman 70.3 in CamSur ever.  “We’re challenged by Fred’s commitment to perfection,” she remarked.  “It’s all about doing your bestest.  Trying isn’t good enough.  We want to do it.  Every year, we introduce something new----new routes, new trails, new T-shirts, new format for the awards program.  That way, participants look forward to competing year after year.  In the 1.2-mile swim, there are two lakes, one big and one small.  We start at Lago del Rey then do a transition run for 100-meters and end at the CamSur Watersports Complex Wake Park pool.  In the 56-mile bike course, we’re introducing a change in the turnaround.  This time, we’ve got less turns and it’s a safer route.  Before, we went through Nato Port and had to adjust by adding an ear to the shorter course but now, we’re going through Goa town and it’s a 45-kilometer ride going and another 45-kilometer ride coming back.  In the 13.1-mile run, we’re passing through a more scenic route but there’s a tough nine-kilometer stretch in between rice fields that we call the rice cooker.”

Galura said safety is the event’s first priority.  “We’ve added more aid stations every two kilometers and, in the run course, every kilometer on the rice cooker course,” she noted.  “We’re providing more water, power gels, rehydration drinks, ice, sponges and towels. We worked to make the routes much safer.”

With Camarines Sur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte’s full backing, Galura said the event is bound to be successful.  “Gov. Villafuerte didn’t only fix the roads but he assures us once more of thousands of cheering schoolchildren during the triathlon,” she went on.  “He’s continously generating a lot of interest from the townsfolk by holding contests for them to participate in like the best in scarecrow costumes that runners will see in the ricefields, the cleanest barangay and the baranggay with the most attendance.  Just like the past two events, the roads in Pili will be closed for six hours. We want the local people to be involved in this major project. We want them to really feel they are a part of it.”