Betten, Duke rule Safeguard Triathlon

PANGLAO, BOHOL, Philippines  – Sam Betten dominated the men’s field in all fronts while fellow Aussie Dimity-Lee Duke bucked a poor swim start with a superb ride in the bike stage as they ruled the Safeguard for Men 5i50 Triathlon at Bellevue Resort here yesterday.?  

The 6-4 Betten topped the 1.5km swim in open water in 19 minutes,  22 seconds, sustained his form in the 40km bike run then bucked the heat in the closing 10km run to turn in an aggregate 2:01:03 clocking and capture top honors in the season-ending endurance race sponsored by Safeguard for Men.

“I trained hard for this,” said the 27 year-old Betten, who picked up his second victory in the season after topping the inaugural Regent 5i50 Triathlon in Subic Bay last June following his runner-up finish in the Ironman 70.3 in Cebu last year.

“It was such a hot and tough race. The last three kilometers though was the hardest with the weather getting hotter and hotter. But I just kept on going and kept my focus on winning,” said Betten.

Michael Murphy, also from Australia, wound up second in 2:03:48 while Justin Granger timed 2:12:38 for third as erstwhile third-running Mitch Robins got slapped with a five-minute penalty in the bike stage.

Duke, meanwhile, foiled Belinda Granger’s bid for a grand exit by copping the women’s tiara in 2:13:30.

The 45-year-old Granger, competing in her last Sunrise Event’s 5i50-organized race, led the charge in the early going until Duke caught up on her in the bike leg.?    

Duke never looked back to claim her first career 5150 title.

“She (Belinda Granger) knows that at the end of the day, we are here to race. She’s still having a great time and so am I though it’s been very hot here,” said Duke.?   

Granger retired with a runner-up finish in 2:19:47 even as Filipina pro Monica Torres placed third in 2:26:26.

Bohol’s Paul Jumamil, meanwhile, didn’t disappoint the local fans, including his family and relatives, as he topped the Filipino men’s elite title in 2:07:26 after three tries.

Jonard Saim came in second in 2:12:08.

“I was really pressured. Good thing we trained here for a month,” said the Cortes-native Jumamil.

Jenny Guerrero, who led Torres in the swim stage before fading in the bike part, bagged the Filipino elite crown over Cebuana Elona Louise Villacin with a 2:42:01 clocking. Villacin timed 2:54:34.