Tuesday, November 10, 2009

RP triathletes advance to Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Florida

Part of New Balance’s global commitment to the sports is to support professional and everyday athletes. In the Philippines, New Balance has proudly supported triathlon and particularly the team that hails from Clark, Pampanga, known as Tri Clark.

New Balance Marathon
The group photo shows Tri Clark team with Planet Sports president Anton Gonzalez.

In the recently concluded Ironman 70.3 Philippines in Camarines Sur, all 16 members of the Tri Clark team successfully completed the race with five of them advancing to the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. Tri Clark athletes training for the Ironman World Championships are: Rene Ricardo "Abe" Tayag, Jose Antonio Narciso, Michael Mandap, Adonis Edwin Co and Jose Raphael Zapata.

"We are very proud of how the athletes of Tri Clark performed at the Ironman 70.3 Philippines. With five of the team members qualifying to the Clearwater, Florida, Ironman competition it only proves that Filipinos are world-class athletes. New Balance is proud to be supporting these athletes," said Bing Buenaventura, brand manager of New Balance.

Tri Clark’s Tayag started his engagement in sports at the age of seven playing tennis and won local and international competitions. Later on he tried his hand at playing golf where he became a two-time club champion at the Mimosa golf and country club. His love for sports led him to eventually try triathlon in 2005.

Since then Tayag became a regular participant in the National Triathlon Championship, National Duathlon in Clark, Subic International Triathlon (2005-2009), Whiterock Long Distance Triathlon (2005-2008) and Ironman Malaysia 2007-2009, where he was the top Filipino finisher for 2008 and 2009.

"Sport is a passion that I have, even as a young boy. Excelling in my current sport and trying a new sport later on is something that came naturally. In triathlon, I want to enjoy as much race as I can and proudly wear the Philippine colors in international competitions," shares Tayag.

After his success at the Ironman 70.3 Philippine in Camarines Sur, Tayag and the rest of the Tri Clark team are on their 10-week training program to prepare them for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships on Nov. 14.

As Tayag and the rest of Tri Clark train for their next triathlon race, New Balance will support the team to help them stay in form and elevate their performance.

Source: bworldonline.com (November 09, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES)