LAOAG CITY — More than 500 triathletes from various parts of the country and abroad joined the “Tinman: Tri Ilocos Norte Challenge” on Sunday.
Organized by the TriSports Solutions Inc. (TSI), Tri North is an Ilocos Norte-based triathlon club that promotes health and wellness in partnership with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte and other public and private stakeholders.
Now on its sixth edition, the triathlon race is annually event to boost Ilocos Norte’s sports tourism development.
According to organizers, TIN stands for Tri Ilocos Norte and “Tinman” is their unique version for “half-ironman.”
This year, the event features the following categories: 113 Distance 1.9 km – 90 km – 21.1 km, Standard Distance 1.5 km -40 km -10 km; Sprint Distance .75 km – 20 km – 5 km and relay. Also included were age group ranges from 12 years old up to 55 and above.
At 6 a.m. Sunday, the participants were gathered at the beach front of Playa Tropical Resort in Currimao town for the swimming course, followed by biking from Currimao leading to St. Augustine Church in Paoay and to the Plaza Del Norte, Malacanang of the North all the way to the Provincial Capitol via the Currimao-Paoay-Suba-Balacad Road.
The running route started at the Playa Tropical Resort to the Currimao lighthouse and then back to the finish line at Playa Tropical.
By hosting triathlon and other major sporting events in the province, the Ilocos Norte government under the administration of Governor Ma. Imelda Josefa Marcos hopes to make the province a sports and wellness hub by year 2020.
During the competition, organizers observed international triathlon safety standards along the routes consisting of relatively flat with slight elevation passing by the province’s clean and scenic landscape.
The road was not closed but traffic was controlled. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)