EDWARD Vince Jared Macalalad of Trigear and Karen Manayon of Rider Omega Tri won the Over All Male and Female categories for standard distance race in the second leg of the 2019 Lanorteman held in Kauswagan town, Lanao del Norte Sunday morning, September 22.
Macalalad finished the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40K bike and 10K run course in 2 hours, 20 minutes and 8 seconds, while Manayon finished in 3 hours, 1 minute and 22 seconds.
"Para sa akin, napakagandang experience ito. Two weeks ago lang ako nag register kasi naghahanap talaga ako ng race," said 22-year-old Macalalad, a member of the Philippine Team and has been joining triathlon races for 10 years.
"'Yung experience ko, every race, sobrang exciting, sobrang saya at nadadagdagan lagi ang kaalaman ko. So it makes me better and stronger," he added.
Fernando Jose Casares of Black Arrow Express was about a minute behind Macalalad, while Jorry Ycong of Omega Tri Team was around six minutes behind the overall male winner, ending up at second and third place, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jacqui Rosee Lamparero of Black Arrow Express finished in 3 hours, 3 minutes and 53 seconds, and Ani Brown finished in 3 hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds winning them the second and third place in the overall female category, respectively.
Meanwhile, Philippine team members Juan Francisco Baniqued and Gene Heart Quianbao, both of Unilab Active Health, won the overall male and female categories for sprint, with the former finishing in 1 hour, 21 minutes and 18 seconds, and the latter in 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Baniqued said he was having a hard time pedaling during the first part of the bike course as it was right after he swam for the 750-meter swim.
"Lahat ng different places, different venues, iba-iba talaga po ang experience na makukuha ko. Sa bike course, medyo mahirap talaga yung simula kasi dire-diretso 'yung ahon na mapipilitan ka talagang pumwersa ng tadyak," said Baniqued, who has been doing triathlon since he was seven years old.
Baniqued and Quiambao were the first to finished the swim course.
Following Baniqued in the overall male for sprint were Clinton Ortezano of SND Baracuda (time finished: 01:24:06) and Franz Hora of Iligan Archangels (time finished: 01:24:07) as second and third placer, respectively.
In the overall female for sprint, Bea Marie Quiambao, the older sister of Gene Heart, of Eight700Triathlon (time finished: 01:38:06) and Frezy Mae Eduria of Bukids Multisport (time finished: 01:47:17) won second and third place, respectively.
National Coach Annie Brown of the Philippine team said that they have seen lots of talent in Mindanao, adding that they have juniors who are from Iligan City, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City and Lanao del Norte.
Sisters Gene Heart and Bea Marie Quiambao are from Bukidnon.
Coaches Annie and Dan Brown were present during the Lanorteman 2019. They said that apart from observing the Philippine team members who joined the traithlon, they were also scouting for potential triathletes to become members of the Philippine team.
The third leg for 2019 Lanorteman Triathlon is set to happen on November 24 in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte.