Australia’s seasoned triathletes finished 1-2 in the men’s elite division and 1-3 in the women’s elite race to enthrone themselves as the new power at the Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) featuring the sprint distance in celebration of its 30th year yesterday at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Last year’s 3rd placer and 6th seed Oscar Dart (world ranking -112) outkicked (wr- 300) and 22nd seed Joshua Ferris, 2022 Asia Triathlon Cup Ipoh champion, after running breast -to-breast almost the whole 5 kilometers.
Dart and Ferris were even when they completed the 750-meter swim and 20-kilometer bike with Dart posting aggregate time of 52 minutes and 05 seconds for the race, seven seconds ahead of Ferris.
Reigning NTT Asia Triathlon Cup Subic Bay titleholder Ren Sato (wr-35) of Japan exchanged places with Dart. This time Sato could only cross the finish line 18 seconds behind Dart whom he beat by 37 seconds in the standard distance.
Strong finishing kick also carried Aussie Charlotte McShane (wr-91/2nd seed) to the top of the podium, towing China’s Yifan Yang (wr- 167/14th seed) and her teammate Ellie Hoitink (118/9th seed).
McShane clocked 58:43 with Yang and Hoitink checking in at 58:54 and 58:58, respectively, in the first and oldest sporting event (both local and international levels) sponsored by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Standard Insurance, Hoka, Fitbar, Asian Center for Insulation Philippines, Inc., and TYR.
Rounding out the elite male top 5 positions in the event, organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), were last year’s 5th placer Japan’s Genta Uchida (4th, 52:38) and Jumpei Furuya (5th, 52:38).
Chinese duo, Meiyi Lu (4th, 59:07) and Anqi Huang (5th, 59:20) completed the top 5 in the elite female category.
2021 Southeast Asian gold medalist Fernando Jose Casares landed in 25th position in the 66-strong fleld with a time of 54:46. Three-time SEA Games gold medalist Kim Mangrobang timed 1:01:07, good for 24th place out of 48 entries.
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The above information was sourced from an official press release issued by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines. Some parts were modified for this website.
Japan’s Ren Sato defends his title in the elite male division and Sarika Nakayama takes a stab at the women’s crown vacated by their compatriot on the final day of the celebration of the 30th year of the Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) this Sunday.
Top world ranked (No. 35) in the field of 66 men, Sato is backstopped by 82nd ranked Jumpei Furuya and 87th Genta Uichida, last year’s 5th placer, in his bid for back-to-back championship at the longest running Olympic distance triathlon in Asia and the first and oldest sporting event at the Subic Bay Freeport.
Last year’s 3rd and 6th placers Aussie Oscar Dart (WR- 112) and Hong Kongite Jason Tei Long (WR- 94), respectively, and Uzbek Alexandr Kurishov (WR- 105), runner up in the April 1 Asia Triathlon Cup Pokhara, loom as dark horses.
On the women’s competition of what is also known as 2023 NTT AST Subic Bay Asia Cup, while Nakayama is ranked 77th in the world she was beaten by 39 seconds in the March 26 2023 World Triathlon Cup Plymouth. Aussie Charlotte McShane (world rank-91st) finished 35th ahead of Nakayama 38th.
All-out to spoil the top duo’s venture is Slovakia’s Margareta Bicanova (WR- 93), 3rd in Asia Triathlon Cup Pokhara, backed up by her country women Zuzana Michalickova (WR- 101), 40th in World Triathlon Cup Plymouth, and Komana Gajdosova (WR- 106), 3rd in 2023 Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck.
Before the year past, the last time the Japanese ruled the elite men was in 2017 when they romped off with 1st,3rd and 5th positions with the Koreans inserting themselves in-between; and in the elite women in 2015 when they finished 1-2.
As a platform for our local bets, as well as the other ASEAN countries’ hopefuls, to gauge their preparation for next month’s Cambodia Southeast Asian Games’ May 6 triathlon events, SuBIT, organized by Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), joined the trend in world and cups triathlon cups in downsizing the distances for elites to sprint.
Suiting for the Philippines in SuBIT presented by NTT and Asian Triathlon with Philippine Sports Commission, Standard Insurance and Asian Center for Insulation Philippines, Inc., are: male- Fernando Casares, Kim Remolino, Josh Ramos and Mathew Hermosa; female- Kim Mangrobang, Raven Alcoseba, Heart Quiambao and Kira Ellis (youngest at 17).
Mangrobang has dominated the past three editions of SEA Games triathlon while Casares was 2021 Vietnam SEA Games gold medalist.
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The above information was sourced from an official press release issued by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines. Some parts were modified for this website.
Filipino-Spanish Fernando Jose Casares displayed his awesome form to claim victory in the sprint men’s elite category of the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) Series at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Sunday.
Casares, born in Madrid to a Spanish father and a Filipino mother, clocked 57 minutes and 16 seconds to prevail over Cebu City’s Matthew Justine Hermosa (57:34) and Andrew Kim Remolino (59:12) in the swim (750m)-bike (20km)-run (5km) event.
Casares earned the standard distance swim (1.5km)-bike (40km)-run(10km) gold medal at the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games. He pocketed the mixed relay gold medal with Chicano, Kim Mangrobang and Claire Adorna at the 2019 Manila SEA Games.
Cebu City’s Raven Faith Alcoseba topped the women’s category in 1:04:36, beating Erika Nicole Burgos (1:08:03) and Karen Manayon (1:08:25).
Alcoseba, who hails from Talisay City, also won the sprint gold medal the duathlon competition in New Clark City last year.
Meanwhile, Dayshaun Ramos and Kira Ellis were crowned champions in the junior elite division of the tournament organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) headed by Tom Carrasco Jr.
Ramos won the men’s category in 1:01.56 while Akio Habana (1:03:43) and Aidanreed Mercado (1:03:51) finished second and third, respectively.
In the women’s category, Ellis posted 1:05:51 to grab the gold medal. Gene Heart Quiambao (1:06:15) took the silver medal and Lady Samantha Jhunace Corpuz (1:07:18) settled for the bronze medal.
“This tournament is part of our national athletes’ preparation for the Cambodia SEA Games in May,” Carrasco said after the awarding ceremony.
Note: The above press release and details were sourced from the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP). Some parts were edited for this website.
Calling all who love the multisport dynamics of triathlon as well as those who love the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as the premier sports tourism destination of the country – the online registration for the NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) 2023 is ongoing right now and you can start registering yourselves (note: RaceYa.fit account needed). This year’s edition of the SuBIT is set to happen on April 22 and 23, 2023 to be organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and I Love Fun-tastic Subic Bay, and presented by NTT and Asia Triathlon.
The NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) 2023 is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Standard Insurance and Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Inc.
To put things in perspective, posted below are some important race details as published by RaceYa.fit’s page of the event.
The official race logo.
REGISTRATION FEES
Early Bird: (January 16 – 31,2023)
Standard Distance: Php 6,000/US$130.00 + online reg fees
To those who will really be traveling to Subic Bay soon, there are notable places where you can have good meals and beverages at: Gourmet Garage Subic and Xtreme Xpresso Café. Read my feature articles of them.
For the triathletes and multisport enthusiasts based in the Philippines reading this, the 2023 season opener of the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) series is all set to happen on January 29, 2023 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the good news is that you can register online right now by clicking here.
This sports event is a joint project of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) supported by Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Inc. (ACIP) and Standard Insurance.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of key race details posted at the event page at RaceYaya.fit
2023 National Age Group Triathlon Subic Leg (part of SEATA Series)
Race Date & Time: 29 January 2023 (Sunday) at 6:00am EventVenue: Start & Finish at The Boardwalk, Subic Bay Freeport
Highlights: • This is part of the Southeast Asian Triathlon Association (SEATA) Series and the 2023 National Triathlon Trials. • A qualifying/selection race for the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, Cambodia. • A talent identification for the Philippine Triathlon Team.
Race Distances:
1. Standard Distance: 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run (Individual and Team Relay) 2. Sprint Distance: 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run 3. Super Sprint Distance: 500m swim, 13km bike, 2.5km run
Participants’ Categories (Top 3):
Super Sprint Distance:
13-15 Boys & Girls Only
Sprint Distance:
Elite Men
Elite Women
Jr. Elite Men 16-19 y.o.
Jr. Elite Women 16-19 y.o.
Age Group Men and Women: 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 – over
Standard Distance:
Elite Men
Elite Women
Age Group Men:
18-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40- 44
45-49
50-54
55 & over
Age Group Women:
18-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50 & over
Team Relay (Standard Distance):
All Male
All Female
Mixed Team
Registration fees are set at P3,500/US$62.50 plus processing fee for Super Sprint Distance, P4,000/US72 plus processing fee for Sprint Distance, and P4,500/US$81 plus processing fee for Standard Distance. The entry fees cover the cost of participation, swim cap, timing chip rental, race bib, bike & helmet stickers, finisher’s medal, event shirt and post-race take-away snacks. The fees are non-refundable, non-transferable and non-creditable for future races of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).
To those who will really be traveling to Subic Bay for the January 29, 2023 triathlon, there are good places where you can have good meals and beverages at – Gourmet Garage Subic and Xtreme Xpresso Café. Read my feature articles of them.
Today, May 14, 2022, is another memorable day of great sports achievement for Philippine triathlon and the nation as a whole as triathletes Fer Casares and Marion Kim Mangrobang won the gold medals of the men’s and women’s triathlon events of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) in Tuan Chau in Vietnam and the official results have been published online. Adding more to the nation’s SEA Games rankings were the silver and bronze medals won by Andrew Kim Remolino and Raven Faith Alcoseba in their respective triathlon events.
Fer Casares the gold medalist in the men’s triathlon event of the 31st SEA Games. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
Marion Kim Mangrobang successfully won the gold medal for the Philippines in the women’s triathlon of the 31st SEA Games. Take note that she won the women’s triathlon gold medals in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the SEA Games. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission.)
Fer Casares won the gold in the 1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run SEA Games men’s triathlon with a time of 1 hour, 56 minutes and 57 seconds. Silver medalist Andrew Kim Remolino followed with 1:59:16. The bronze medal went to Indonesia’s triathlete Ronald Bintang Setiawan who timed 2:01:35. This resulted gold and silver medal victories for the Philippines in the SEA Games triathlon event for men and this also marked the 2nd consecutive men’s triathlon silver medal for the Cebu-based Remolino. For Remolino’s previous SEA Games men’s triathlon silver medal win, click here.
Among the women, Marion Kim Mangrobang finished first with a time of 2:13:31. More than three minutes later, Indonesia’s Inge Prasetyo crossed the finish line in 2:16:38 to earn the silver medal. Mangrobang’s teammate Raven Faith Alcoseba won for the country the bronze medal after timing 2:18:30. The Cebu-based Alcoseba, who was the top finisher among local women in the recent Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT), was ahead of the 4th placer from Indonesia by 56 seconds. For the Philippines, this resulted gold and bronze victories in the SEA Games triathlon for women.
Very notably, today’s SEA Game gold medal victory of Mangrobang is her 3rd consecutive gold following her achievements in the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games triathlon events for women. That being said, Mangrobang is still the reigning triathlon queen of Southeast Asia! For the newcomers reading this who want to know more about Mangrobang, read my feature article of her.
Andrew Kim Remolino won another silver medal in the SEA Games men’s triathlon. He won a silver also in the 2019 SEA Games. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
Raven Faith Alcoseba won for the Philippines the bronze of the SEA Games women’s triathlon. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
With the gold medal victories of Casares and Mangrobang today, the Philippines is once again the best in triathlon in Southeast Asia. For today, Philippine triathletes added 2 gold medals, 1 silvermedal and 1 bronze medal to help the nation in the overall medal rankings.
Be aware that the next SEA Games will be hosted by Cambodia next year (promoted as Cambodia 2023) and those games already include triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon.
Tomorrow, the multisport action will continue in the ongoing SEA Games as the men’s duathlon and women’s duathlon events are set to happen. Updates about those races will be posted here.
In closing this post, posted below are holy scriptures for your faith in the Lord. Praise and thank the Lord for the victories the Philippines achieved today at the SEA Games.
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)
Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the CNN Philippines article. Some parts in boldface…
The country’s triathlon team is boasting a lineup of household names eyeing to continue its regional dominance in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next month.
Speaking to CNN Philippines, Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco emphasized that the bunch of household names should give the country some considerable edge over opponents.
Kim Mangrobang, who ruled the 2019 SEA Games women’s individual event at Subic Bay, is set to banner the female team anew as she will be backed by former De La Salle University varsity swimmer Raven Faith Alcoseba and Lauren Plaza as a reserve.
Mangrobang secured the gold while compatriot Kim Kilgroe clinched the silver three years ago.
The same finish was tallied by the Philippine men’s triathlon team that year, with John Chicano taking home the gold and Andrew Kim Remolino nabbing the silver.
Come Vietnam, Remolino and fellow star Fernando Casares will aim to duplicate the feat, while defending champion Chicano sits kingly on the reserve list.
Meanwhile, Chicano is shifting focus to rule the duathlon event as he will be joined by Raymund Torio and reserve Casares in the men’s squad.
Mangrobang will have no rest as she will anchor the distaff side along with Alexandra Dumaran and Alcoseba as a reserve.
In 2019, Monica Torres snagged the gold in the women’s individual duathlon event while Joey Delos Reyes settled for a silver medal for the men’s side. Torres, Efraim Inigo, Paui Fornea, and Emmanuel Comendador clinched the bronze medal in the mixed relay category.
Ani De Leon, Melvin Fausto, and George Vilog are tapped as coaches of the Hanoi-bound Philippine triathlon team.
For the newcomers reading this, the mentioned Philippine Team triathletes/duathletes will be competing first in the Subic Bay International Triathlon set for May 1 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone before proceeding to Vietnam for the SEA Games triathlon and duathlon races. If you happen to be here in the Philippines and you are interested to see Mangrobang, Chicano, Remolino, Casares, Alcoseba and Torio in person, then I encourage you to visit Subic Bay and watch the May 1 triathlon live.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you excited about the triathlon and duathlon events of the SEA Games in Vietnam? Do you think that the Philippines will successfully win the gold medals in both multisports events at the SEA Games? Do you plan to watch the Subic Bay International Triathlon on May 1 in person to see the above mentioned Philippine Team triathletes/duathletes perform? How many triathletes or triathlon enthusiasts are there in your local community right now?
If you are looking for nice place for vacation and you also want to watch a triathlon event live, then you should come to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone where the 2022 edition of the Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT) will be held at on May 1, 2022 (for external references, click here, here, here and here).
For a quick look at who the Philippine Team triathletes are racing and what impact SUBIT had on Philippine triathlon in general, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin sports news report. Some parts in boldface…
The race is actually a tuneup for the PH team going to the biennial meet where it aims to maintain its 1-2 finish in the men’s and women’s division.
Racing in SUBIT are Fer Casares, Kim Remolino, John Chicano, Kim Mangrobang, Raven Alcoseba and Lauren Plaza.
“The SUBIT will be a good tuneup race for our SEAG-bound athletes, especially sa game strategy,” said Triathlon Association President Tom Carrasco.
“SUBIT has been at the forefront of development of Filipino triathletes. I’m proud to say that SUBIT has produced Southeast Asian Games champions and notable Asian Games performers.”
Among the SUBIT products were SEAG winners Chicano, Mangrobang, Nikko Huelgas and (Claire) Adorna, Youth Olympics qualifier Vicky Deldio, Columbia World Games qualifiers Carlo Pedregosa and Mirasol Abad, Birmingham World Games qualifier Casares, and 2018 Asian Games top 10 finisher Kim Kilgroe.
This year’s SUBIT – formally called the NTT AST Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) 2022 – will have race distances of 1.5 kilometer swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run (Standard Distance), 750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5 Km run (Sprint Distance) and 500 M – 13 Km bike – 2.5 Km run (Super Sprint Distance) which will cover lots of places in the freeport. With regards to schedules, posted below are the details sourced from the event page at RaceYaya.com
Pay close attention to this.
This year’s SUBIT is a joint project of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and I Love Fun-tastic Subic Bay supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Standard Insurance, FINIS Philippines, Gatorade, Subic Bay Travelers Hotel, POCARI Sweat, and Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines Inc.
Where to enjoy food and drinks in Subic Bay?
Visit Gourmet Garage and Xtremely Xpresso on your next visit to Subic Bay.
Apart from being a sports tourism hot spot, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone also has nice places where you and your family or group of friends can spend time at and enjoy good food and drinks together such as Gourmet Garage Subic (social media here and here) and Xtremely Xpresso Café (social media here and here) to name a few. Personally, I enjoyed the two mentioned places a lot during my past visits. I would suggest you who read this to visit them on your next visit to Subic Bay.
Located at 1143 Argonaut Highway (very near the Starbucks Coffee shop there), Gourmet Garage Subic is one very fine place to dine in with others and their cooks specialize preparing really tasty meals such as the Truffle BBQ Orange Baby Back Ribs, the Grilled Salmon Tamari Quinoa, Grilled Javier’s Burger, Sake-marinated Fish Fillet, the Lamb Madras Curry, Gourmet Garage’s Beef Tapa and their signature pasta the Luglug Spaghettini to name a few. Looking for drinks, snacks, cakes, condiments and bread? They have them too! Their venue also has a fine-looking design. If you have any catering needs, they are willing to serve you.
Over at 1 Dewey Avenue corner Sta. Rita Road in the freeport, Xtremely Xpresso is a café that offers customers really good coffee plus meals that families and friends can enjoy together. For the coffee lovers, they got the Jump-start Espresso, Vienna Coffee, White Mocha and Vietnamese Coffee plus their very own lineup of frappe’s such as the Shockwave, the Coffee Cradle and Ekimocha to name a few. For those looking for hearty meals, they have Baby Back Ribs, Korean Beef Ribs, Salisbury Steak, the Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich, pasta and their Big Ben pizza!
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you excited to visit Subic Bay for the May 1 triathlon event and the local places to enjoy good food? When was the last time you visited Subic Bay?
Apollo Petroleum Jelly TRI 2020 Set for February 23 at Subic Bay
The new multisport season of Bike King events will launch with the Apollo Petroleum Jelly TRI 2020 which will fire off on the morning of February 23 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the nation’s triathlon capital.
Apollo Petroleum Jelly TRI 2020 features two race courses of Standard Distance (1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run) and Sprint Distance (750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5 Km run) which will take participants from the waters of Acea Subic Bay to Argonaut Highway (followed by a challenging climb up Ocean Adventure) and to the 4-loop run course towards All Hands Beach. A scenic view of Subic Bay as well as a festive atmosphere await both triathletes and spectators at the Acea Subic Bay area where the finish line and transition area are located at.
At stake in the event presented by Apollo Petroleum Jelly and supported by Cleene, Mediplast, LeGARDE L-Carnitine, Vermosa Sports Hub, Alviera, Clark Global City, Smart, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, ACEA Subic Bay, Court Meridian Hotel & Suites, hydration partners POCARI Sweat and Sip Purified Water, timing partner GARMIN, shoe partner Saucony and recovery partner Air Relax Massage Guns are medals for all finishers, trophies and gift packs for the winners in each category. The categories include individual (Standard and Sprint) and relay (Standard Distance only), which have sub-categories, namely all-men, all-women, and mixed team.
Title sponsored by Apollo Petroleum Jelly and organized by Bike King, the Apollo Petroleum Jelly TRI 2020 promises to be a great venue for athletes put test their limits, to eventually break their boundaries and ultimately better themselves. Over 500 participants from around the nation have signed up for the event.
For more information on the race and other upcoming events, visit BikeKingPhilippines.com.
About Apollo Petroleum Jelly
Widely known as a staple in every Filipino’s household, Apollo Petroleum Jelly is an athlete’s secret weapon. It can help lubricate skin areas that are predisposed to chafing, perfect for triathletes who has constant contact between skin, clothing and footwear during their races. Apollo Petroleum Jelly starts at PHP29.50 for 25 grams, and goes up to PHP 142.00 for 200 grams. It is available in drugstores, leading drugstores and supermarkets and department stores nationwide. To learn more about Apollo Petroleum Jelly and other related products, visit Philusa.com.ph
This is an official press release issued on behalf of Bike King Philippines and Philusa.
2020 National Age Group Triathlon Season Kicks Off at Subic Bay on January 26
After delivering the first two gold and silver medals of the recently concluded 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), triathlon opens a new decade in the country with the launch of the 2020 season of the National Age Group Triathlon series which will fire off with close to a thousand participants on January 26 in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
A joint project of the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), the season opening race will have participants challenging themselves with the Standard Distance (1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run), Sprint Distance (750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5 Km run) and Super Sprint Distance (500 M swim – 13 Km bike – 2.5 Km run) prepared for them with San Bernardino serving as the main venue for starting, transition and finishing.
At stake in the event supported by the SBMA, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Standard Insurance, FINIS and Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP) are gift packs and winners’ medals for the Top 3 winners of each age-group category per distance as well as the Team Relay category.
Entry fees are set at P3,750 for Standard Distance, P3,000 for Sprint Distance, P2,500 for Super Sprint Distance and P7,500 for the Team Relay. Inclusive with the entry fees are the post-race meal, the finisher’s medal and race t-shirt. Registration will end on December 31 or when all slots have been filled up.
Author Carlo Carrasco 