Colombo abuzz with the thrill of the Pro-am Tri Series 2018
The first leg of the much-hyped Pro-am Tri Series 2018 concluded successfully on September 30, 2018 where over 125 athletes took part in the Aquathlon, which commenced from the NCC Swimming Pool Complex.
Athletes completed a 500 metre swim which was then followed by a five kilometre run around Maitland Crescent. The race commenced at 5am and was over by 10am.
The Tri Series incorporates three events, an Aquathlon, Duathlon (to be held on October 28) and a Triathlon (to be held on December 2). This exciting blend of endurance level sports integrates the three core sports pillars of swimming, cycling and running and is aimed to entice individuals; whether they are amateurs or professionals, to take part and experience an unforgettable day of fitness and endurance.
Over 125 athletes registered to take part in the Aquathlon and male and female athletes raced under age groups that comprised of the Elite Category (reserved for professional athletes) as well as under the age groups of 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 and above and mixed relay teams.
For all sports fanatics or anyone who has never experienced a sporting display of this sort before in the country, the Pro-am Tri Series 2018 is a first-ofits-kind-event to have been initiated in Sri Lanka and is considered to be the warm-up event leading up to the biggest triathlon event of its kind, IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo, which will take place in February 2019.
In light of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships which will take place in Nice, France, IRONMAN initiated the Women for Tri programme in collaboration with the IRONMAN Foundation with the aim of increasing more female participation in this sport. To encourage more female athletes to take part, the World Championship listed 20 races with 25 additional female slots each, giving a total of 500 slots and the Colombo races also happen to be one of them.
So, to heighten the goal of attracting more female athletes, individual women and women only teams will receive a 25% discount when registering for the IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo Triathlon. To help promote the participation of local athletes, male only teams will receive a 20% discount when registering. These offers are valid till October 31, 2018.
Adding his insight to the ongoing Tri Series, , Julian Bolling, Director, Pro-am Serendib (Pvt) Ltd stated, “The IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo 2018 event succeeded in attracting many locals and most of them chose to take part as relay teams which comprised of three athletes in one mixed team – men and women. However, Sri Lanka needs to move forward where we can see more locals take part in all three disciplines, as singular athletes and conquer such challenges single-handedly. As the IRONMAN motto states ‘Anything is Possible,’ I greatly believe in the good side of IRONMAN and that is that it helps participants to uplift their self-confidence and allow it to shine through whilst also enticing them to train hard and stay fit in the process.”
Bolling also added that his organisation hopes to encourage more people to register and be part of an internationally recognised multisport event.
“The introduction of the Proam Tri Series this year will give local athletes a taste of what to expect from the IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo Triathlon and help them become familiar with it as well as understand the concept of adopting three disciplines and going for it by themselves. Our aim is to help make a difference not just in our lives but also for everyone else in Sri Lanka,” he reiterated. As an organisation that is focussed on propelling the triathlon community in Sri Lanka to greater heights, Pro-am Serendib has joined hands with the Triathlon Club Colombo (TCC), Spinner and the Rainbows to see these races through.
The upcoming IRONMAN Triathlon is one not to be missed and it is high time for Colombo to wake up and get ready for one of Sri Lanka’s most anticipated multi-sport events. As of now, and with six months of ample time to train and get ready, athletes are encouraged to come forward and take part in these events and help to highlight Sri Lanka to the world and show that Sri Lankans can do it!
Pro-am Serendib (Pvt) Ltd is a Sri Lankan sports event management company and the official licensee of the World Triathlon Corporation and owner of the IRONMAN global triathlon brand in Sri Lanka. For more information about the races and to register, contact info@proamserendib.com