Focus on Brown, Kochetkov in full Ironman

SUBIC, Philippines — Cameron Brown of New Zealand looks to dominate even as Lithuania’s Alex Kochetkov hopes to chalk up one for charity as the first Century Tuna full Ironman Philippines braces for a grand staging tomorrow here.

Brown, 12-time Ironman New Zealand champion and two-time Hawaii Ironman second placer, is ready to dish out top form against an elite field which includes man-on-a-mission Kochetkov who is bent on completing 100 full distance races in a year for charity in the country’s first full Ironman race.

Seychelles’ Nick Baldwin, third-placer of the Ironman 70.3 Japan last year, Kiwi Simon Cochraine, this year’s Ironman Taiwan third-placer, Philippine-based coach Dan Brown of Australia, Austria’s Freddy Lampret and Spain’s Eneko Elosegui, who is coming off a neck injury last March, complete the seven men pro field seeing action in the punishing 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42km run race.

The inaugural full distance race, held in conjunction with the decade-long staging of Ironman races here by the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc., drew 1,552 triathletes, 333 of whom signed up for the 70.3 race also set tomorrow.

“I was reminiscing 10 years ago when we were in CamSur. We have come a long away. Why are we doing this? We want to celebrate our 10th anniversary in a very special way. I know the clamor from the athletes has been immense. We want to honor the sport, the distance and Ironman. We believe with this course we laid out, we will do justice to that,” said SEI founder Fred Uytengsu.

Bannering the pro distaff side is many-time Ironman podium finisher Liz Blatchford of Great Britain who draws extra inspiration from her child who celebrated her first birthday yesterday as well as Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao third placer Dimity Lee Duke of Australia, compatriot Alise Selsmark, Jana Candrova of Czeh Republic, and Erin Furness, Julia Grant and Simone Maier of New Zealand.

Ushering in the weekend’s activities are the Alaska Ironkids, where around 350 budding triathletes tackle a swim and run course at the Wow Recreation and Activity Center, at 6 a.m. today.