CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga—Run, bike, run.
Thomas Bruins of the Netherlands and local girl Miscelle Gilbuena ruled the male and female categories of the 2017 Powerman Philippines Asian Championships Presented by Summit Natural Drinking Water at the Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga last weekend.
Instead of swim, bike, run Powerman consists of a simplified race of just two disciplines to allow greater participation.
Bruins finished ahead of Australia’s Matt Smith and Filipino bet Emmanuel Commendador.
National Duathlon team member Gilbuena from Cebu upset Australia’s Alexandra McDougall to take the female elite crown. Gilbuena finished a minute and 10 seconds ahead of McDougall while Rowena Valdez took third.
“The challenge for many foreign participants is the hot racing conditions. Our guys are used to the weather,” said Raymund Magdaluyo, President and CEO of F&F International Events Group, Inc., organizers of the biggest duathlon event of the year.
Bruins enjoyed the cloudy, overcast conditions which tempered the hot weather to take the lead in the bike part of the race and then go on to win comfortably.
Jarwyn Banatao of Baguio City won the Powerman Philippines Asian Championships Short Distance category. Malaysia’s Jason Loh and compatriot Cipriane John Topia finished second and third.
Japanese Aira Sawada repeated as the Short Distance female category winner.
Age group winners include: Meg Francisco, Female 25-29; Carly Relf, Female 40-44; Charlie Sy, Female 30-34; Erica Dueger, Female 50-54; Denise Hernandez, Female 25-29; Rena Marte, Female 35-39; and Eileen Bravante, Female 35-39.
Bruins struggled early and trailed in the first 10-kilometer run leg because of the heat and humidity. He finally acclimated to take the lead in the bike leg and then went on to build a comfortable edge to win decisively.
He actually lost his drink bottle in the bike leg and didn’t get as much carbs as he wanted. He needn’t have worried because he not only took the lead, he actually pulled away in that leg.
SEA Games Triathlon gold and silver medalists Nikko Huelgas and John Chicano participated to gain experience. Huelgas said he needed to improve in the bike part of a race.
Jamil F. Buergo
The event attracted 1,100 participants including local celebrities Jake Cuenca, Kim Chiu, Sitti Navarro, couples Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles and beauty queen Alexandria Faith Garcia.
Clark Freeport Zone and NLEX-SCTEx were the official road partners. Cobra Energy Drink was official energy drink. Other backers were Dan’s Endurance, Cycles & Brew by Hubble, Starbucks Coffee, Pace Prehab and Recovery, WattUp Cycling, official sports nutrition partner Unilab ActiveHealth, official timing partner Garmin, official footwear partner Skechers Performance, Seafood Island Restaurant, Hammer Nutrition, 2XU, Hotel Stotsenberg, Lohas Hotel and Fontana Leisure Park.
The country’s best duathletes got a chance to compete against the best duathletes in Asia as well as Powerman world champions because the race served as the Asian Championship.
The event consisted of the classic distance (10k Run-60k Bike-10k Run) and the short distance (5k Run-30k Bike-5k Run). For those not ready to take on the whole distance there was also the relay category.