Manayon, Hermosa score sweep for Cebu
BOHOL–Matthew Hermosa and Karen Manayon both had dominant swim efforts and went on to sweep the overall titles in the Sunlife 5150 Bohol triathlon Sunday in Panglao Island.
The Cebu natives from Talisay City thwarted the challenge of talented fields, with Hermosa, an aquathlon Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, taking home the men’s crown after a time of two hours, two minutes and 45 seconds for the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run event.
Hermosa timed 19:37 for the swim and it was more than enough to hold off repeat-seeking Irienold Reig Jr., who eventually clocked 2:05:20 for second spot. Local favorite Jonathan Pagaura placed third in 2:08:38.
Manayon, meanwhile, came out of the water almost two minutes ahead of her closest pursuer and went on to clock an impressive 2:27:39 for her first overall victory, her time almost four minutes better than the seasoned Bea Quiambao’s 2:31:07.
Quiambao was second after the swim and never really put a dent on the lead Manayon had built, as the eventual champion clocked 1:12 on the bike before finishing off the field with a time of 49:06 on the run.
The charming Ines Santiago, a former Ironman 70.3 champ, was third more than seven minutes off the winning time.
For their victories, both Hermosa and Manayon were also awarded the Bagong Bayani honors–an elite category celebrating active or former national athletes who exemplify excellence, resilience, and national pride.
The race, organized by Sunrise Events Inc., drew triathletes from 25 countries, including strong contingents from the US, Great Britain, Australia, and Hong Kong, further raising the competitive bar for Filipino athletes.
