EVENTS: Capiz Ready to Host First International Triathlon in April 2017

The province of Capiz in Western Visayas is set to host the first international triathlon dubbed TRIAKSYON 2017 to be held during CAPIZTAHAN, a weeklong festival commemorating the foundation of the second civil government of Capiz.

Set on April 22 and 23, TRIAKSYON 2017 is the first leg of what is planned to be an annual triathlon in the province of Capiz. It is a major feature of the new Capiz Sports Tourism Program under the leadership of Governor Antonio Del Rosario. It is expected to showcase Capiz as one of the best sports and tourism destinations in the country.

“Capiz is a very good venue for a triathlon and through this we can showcase the natural beauty and topographical assets of the province that will encourage international interest,” TRIAKSYON 2017 Chairman Greg Atienza said.

Governor del Rosario also expressed his utmost gratitude to the various sectors that are working together for the success of the event and assured full support to the endeavor.

About 300 local, national and international triathletes are expected to converge in the province to join the triathlon that will include kids, sprint, and standard and relay categories. The triathlon will pass through several tourism destinations in Capiz such as Baybay Beach, the historical Panay Church that houses the largest Catholic bell in Asia, Villareal Stadium, which contains the largest Olympic swimming pool in the region, and Pueblo de Panay, a rising 500-hectare multizoned township development in Roxas City.

From People’s Park in the coastal village of Baybay in Roxas City, competitors will swim two loops and clockwise in an inverted triangle with markers for a total distance of 1.6 kilometers. Then, the adults will change their attire and ride a bike to the municipality of Panay and back to the city for a total distance of 54 kilometers. Participants will then run in a 20-kilometer course that would showcase four important landmarks: the City Hall of Roxas City, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Provincial Capitol Building, the City Fountain which marks Ground Zero, and the Capiz bridge. Both the bridge and the Cathedral are over a century old. The route will then proceed to the new township of Pueblo the Panay, Roxas City’s version of 'Ayala Commercial Center' in its early stage of development. The race will loop back to Roxas Avenue turning east to Capiz National High School. The triathletes will then turn northward and quickly to the east leading towards the Municipality of Panay where Sta. Monica Church, a UN Heritage site where Asia's biggest bell resides. The race loops back to the city proper and ends at 'Olympic' Villareal Stadium Complex at the left foot of Capiz National High School for the Grand Finale and Awards Ceremony.

The official launch took place at the scenic Baybay Beach in Roxas City and began with an inaugural open water swim by renowned Capizena Betsy Medalla, the first Filipina and Asian woman to cross the challenging and icy waters in Cape Town and complete the hazardous Robben Island Channel crossing in South Africa back in 2014.

Medalla’s inaugural swim started from the shoreline across People’s Park going to the symbolic Mantalinga islet. Other younger swimmers from Capiz joined Medalla. Her inaugural swim also coincided with a fun run and fun ride by Capiznon athletes.

TRIAKSYON is an event sanctioned by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines. TRIAKSYON is a Sports Tourism project of the Province of Capiz, co-presented by ACS Manufacturing Corporation and Double Dragon Corporation.

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