Mascariñas, Belen rule Sunrise Sprint triathlon

MANILA, Philippines – In a showcase of superb biking prowess, Lord Cedric Mascariñas and Alexis Belen clinched the overall championships in the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint at the Bellevue Resort’s beachside in Panglao, Bohol last Sunday.

Mascariñas delivered a stellar performance with the best time of 32:52 in the bike segment of the event, which included a 750m open-water swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run. He maintained his lead in the closing stages, clocking 19:09 to secure a hard-fought victory with a total time of 1:06:38.

Despite trailing Enrico Burgos (09:12) after the swim stage with a 10:06 time, Mascariñas surged ahead during the bike leg as Burgos slowed to 33:31 and finished with a run time of 19:37, ending at 1:07:01.

Michael Lalimos claimed third place with a total time of 1:09:41, with splits of 10:20 (swim), 33:56 (bike), and 20:53 (run) in the short-distance triathlon that caters to athletes of all skill levels, from novices aiming to build a strong foundation to seasoned triathletes seeking to enhance their performance on an Olympic-style course.

In the women's category, Belen overcame a three-minute deficit after the swim leg (13:07) dominated by Necie Bullecer (10:08). She excelled in the bike (34:50) and run (28:18) segments, finishing first with a time of 1:23:05.

Venice Herbias displayed a strong finish to secure second place in 1:26:29, with splits of 11:21 (swim), 39:09 (bike), and 28:30 (run). Joanna Marie Cruz, showcasing her running skills in the event organized by The IRONMAN Group, took third place in 1:26:45, with times of 13:36, 38:13 and 27:06.

Mascariñas (20-24) and Belen (25-29) also topped their respective age-group categories in this event held alongside the main Sun Life 5150 Bohol Triathlon.

Other division winners included (women’s): Herbias (15-19); Katrina Villanueva (30-34, 1:27:52); Bea Villoigot (35-39, 1:35:15); Joanne Cruz (40-44, 1:26:45); Jennifer Zabala (45-49, 1:41:02); Ratna Dimaporo (50-54, 1:47:11) and Susan Lim (55-59, 1:37:51).

In men’s division, Lalimos claimed the top honors in 15-19 category; Justin Gian Pesons (25-29, 1:14:51); Alex Silveno (30-34, 1:15:15); Jose Marie Tancinco (35-39, 1:16:47); Allan Aguipo (40-44, 1:36:45); Roldan Calda (45-49, 1:16:31); Romulo Rosell (50-54, 1:26:12); Juergen Presslmayr (55-59, 1:25:19); Joselito Danao (60-64, 1:41:49) and Efren Martinez (75-79, 2:32:40).

In the relay competitions, Team Messiah emerged victorious overall, with Team Hait and Team Go for Gold placing second and third, respectively. Team GCGMMV TriBohol won the all-female relay trophy, surpassing Team Pas and Furious and Team Jvim.

Team Hait triumphed in the men’s relay, outpacing Team Go for Gold and Team AGS Corp. Additionally, Team Messiah clinched the mixed relay title, beating Team Sun Life Tri-Team 2 and Team KSM Tri.