Triathletes priming up for bigger endurance races or those who simply want to do short distance but challenging races now have one world-class course to test their skills when Subic Bay stages the second Black Arrow Express 5150 on Oct. 27.
Long regarded as the country’s triathlon hub, Subic has hosted some of the biggest national and international races, including the IRONMAN 70.3 and the first-ever full IRONMAN in the country in 2018. In fact, the pristine waters of Subic Bay and the well-paved roads inside and around the Subic Bay Freeport Zone will host the region’s top and rising endurance racers in the coming SEA Games.
Aussie Mitch Robins and Manami Iijima of Guam are back, both geared up for back-to-back title romp in the event put up by one of the country’s top cargo movers in what promises to be another grueling test of endurance over the Olympic distance of 1.5k swim-40K bike-10K run race.
The chase kicks off at the Acea Subic Bay beach following a counter-clockwise flow. The swim course is divided into 650 meters, 200 meters, and 650 meters. After completing the swim, participants will exit the beach following the path to Transition 1 at San Bernardino Road.
From Transition 1, they move to the bike mount area in San Bernardino Road corner Argonaut Highway for the three-loop 40-km course around the scenic flat coastal roads of Subic Bay with the field to head towards the Malawaan Park for the first turnaround at KM 6.67 then to KM13.3 for the second turnaround and to the Malawaan Park for the next turnaround at KM 20 then back to Acea Subic Bay for turnaround 4 at KM 26.67. Participants will then make their final turnaround at KM 33.33 at the Malawaan Park.
The battle then heats up in the closing run stage, a 10km single loop, hilly and challenging course from San Bernardino Road through the Argonaut Highway, the hilly Zambales Highway crossing Tarlac Road to Aparri Road before they head to the single turnaround at KM 5 then back to San Bernardino Road and to the finish line at the Acea Subic Bay Parking lot.
Registration is ongoing. For details, contact secretariat at blackarrowexpress@5150philippines.com. For pro athletes, contact preregistration@ironman.com.
Also on tap in the event, organized by Sunrise Events, Inc., now part of the IRONMAN Group, is the Asian Elite division for men and women offering a top purse of P200,000 .
Sharing center stage is the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint, a short distance triathlon series featuring a 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run put up by Go for Gold to help Filipino athletes promote excellence.