Foreign triathletes among favorites

MANILA, Philippines — Three of the 30 foreign triathletes vying in the Alveo 5150 Subic Bay look to stir up the chase for the overall championship when the premier endurance race held under the Olympic-style setup is fired off on Sunday in the country’s top triathlon hub.

Singapore’s Liam Chan, Korean Hyunji Ko and Byron Sanborn of the United States have stepped up their preparations for the upcoming 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run event, seeking to spoil the local bets’ expected control of the season’s third and last 5150 race.

“We are finally back to the country’s triathlon capital and we are now down to our last 5150 and Sprint race of the year,” said race director Neville Manaois. “We have prepared a challenging but wonderful racecourse and at the same time have guaranteed a safe race for everyone.”

Aside from the overall crown, Chan and Ko are also eyeing to top the 20-24 age-group category in both sides while Sanborn is one of the men to watch in the 25-29 division of the event organized by the IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc.

Other foreign bidders include those from France, South Africa, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Turkey, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.