Story and pix by Chan Lilian
WHAT sets a triathelete apart from let’s say a cyclist or a swimmer or a runner is the amount of activities they have to do in one event, transitioning from a swimmer to a cyclist to a runner.
Mental strength plays an important role and one can see the faces of determination at the starting point in Pantai Jubilee, Telok Bahang when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng flagged off the 1,000 triatheletes and duathletes from 22 countries at the SPONSOR Penang International Triathalon and Duathalon (PgiTD).
At the blow of the horn, the triatheletes jumped into the seas, swam 1.5km, ran 3km to where their bicycles were kept and cycled for 42kmM from Telok Bahang to Balik Pulau and back.
Then, they dropped their bikes and ran another 7lm to complete their triathlon. Meanwhile, the duathletes ran, rode and then ran again.
Guan Eng held a short press conference together with G Club chairman Datuk Dr. Lim Seh Guan after the flag off.
“I am very glad to see that the PgiTD in its fourth year has grown from strength to strength. Thanks to the organiser, G Club, and sponsor of PgiTD, SPONSOR, this event has attracted more participants. I noted that women participants have increased tremendously,” he said.
Seh Guan added:“The event is also good for tourism. However, it will be impossible to organise an event like this without the full support of the state government and also the Penang Island City Council. As in the previous editions many NGOs, bicycle clubs and individuals have contributed in various ways to ensure SPONSOR PgITD 4th Edition runs successfully.
“It is truly an international event as Penang’s famed scenic route through padi fields, durian plantations, beaches and kampungs is now well-known and the number of participants keeps increasing each year,”Ben Woon, chairman of organising committee of PgITD said.
The participants were greeted with a shower of blessings at the end of the race when rain came pouring down at the Telok Bahang dam when they were running by the dam where the finishing line was.