Regan, Brown dominate Aboitiz TRI2016

Ben Regan of the Fitness First team ruled the men’s category while Ani Deleon Brown of Actgive Health reigned in the distaff side of the Aboitiz TRI2016 Olympic distance at Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, Hamilo Coast, in Nasugbu, Batangas recently.

Regan clocked two hours, eight minutes, 58 seconds in the 1.5 K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run. One Triathlon Team’s Neil Adrian Aynera followed seven minutes later in 2:15:56, while last year’s champion Mervin Rencel Santiago of Sante Barley Tri Team snatched third place in 2:16:21.

On the distaff side, Brown, former national triathlon champion, finished with a winning time of in 2: 43: 34, ahead of Maria Danielle Infantado of One Triathlon Team (2:47:36) and Celma Hitalia Century Tri Hard (2:54:05).

“I really did not expect to win. By looking at the field of participants, I felt I could just make the Top Ten finishers. There were some challenges along the way like the sea’s current going out and the first hill on the bike but I managed to get over them and I even enjoyed running around the lagoon,” Regan said after crossing the finish line.

In response to the large turnout of 477 triathletes, 59 of them Aboitiz Group team members, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.’s chief human resources officer Txabi Aboitiz praised their grit, discipline, and determination. “It is our third time to organize this event and, every year, our athletes continue to raise the level of competition with the same spirit of sportsmanship through every challenge,” Aboitiz said in his speech during the awarding ceremony.