This former military base where the best American soldiers were trained to win a war is now officially the home of Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon Philippines, a distance competition where some of the world’s best triathletes are expected to compete.
The good news was announced as Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Roberto Garcia and Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) president and CEO Fred Uytengsu signed a memorandum of agreement making the Subic Bay Freeport the venue for the 5i50 Triathlon this year until 2014.
Garcia said the agreement would place Subic in the forefront of top-caliber sports events for three years, as the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon would be the first 5i50 distance triathlon in Asia to be sanctioned by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
The Olympic-distance Century Tuna 5i50 race will involve a 1.5 kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike event, and a 10-kilometer run.
“This is a very welcome opportunity for Subic to host this kind of event, and we thank Century Tuna Inc. and Sunrise Events for bringing this to Subic and adding more excitement to this emerging sports center in the region,” Garcia said.
“As you know, sports tourism is a major thrust in our tourism master plan and we really look forward to hosting world-class events from marathons to biking, to sailing,” he said, pointing out that Subic has just hosted the Rolex China Sea Race which started in Hong Kong and ended in Subic Bay, and the Commodore’s Cup, which is also part of the competition in the Asian sailing circuit.
For his part, Uytengsu said that Alaska milk will stage the Olympic-distance Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon Series in the Philippines every month of June, starting this year until 2014.
Asked why Subic was chosen as venue for the 5i50 event, Uytengsu replied that they chose Subic because of its challenging course that incorporates scenic features.
“If you look at the landscape of Subic Bay, you would see that it has the best roads you’ve never seen in any road race in the country, and they are extremely safe and very well maintained,” Uytengu said.
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He added that the area also offers a very challenging course from the organizer’s stand point, which is something different from what has never been experienced before.
“Subic offers many different looks and many different experiences. This course is uniquely Century Tuna’s 5i50 course, and this is ours alone,” Uytengso happily pointed out.
Garcia added that Subic is also known for its road discipline and is a gated and fenced community, offering great security to sports participants. "We also have a 24/7 911 emergency assistance hotline that brings assistance to you wherever you are in the Freeport in a matter of minutes". (RAV/MPD-SBMA)
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