In Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Raña first Bicolano to join, finishFord Ironman World Championship

PILI, CamSur –Benjamin “JR” Raña, Jr., of Sta. Lucia, Magarao negotiated 4 kilometers of swimming (1:17:50), 180 kilometers of cycling (5:26:30) and a final 42 kilometers of running (4:02:54) to go into the sports annals as the first ever Bicolano to enter and finish in the Ford Triathlon World Championships held Saturday, October 8 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Modest as his 10 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds total time may seem compared to three-time champion Australian Craig “Crowie” Alexander’s all-time 8:03:56 record, Raña still emerged second best Filipino athlete in the race next to veteran multi-sports athlete Noy Jopson who participated in the 35-39 age group who posted 10: 32:35.

Jopson (35-39 year) ranked 764th and Raña (25-29 years) 941st among 1,773 finishers from a field of 1,918 starters, or a 95.4% finisher rate in this year’s Ford Ironman which is deemed one of the toughest sports competitions in the world.

The Ford Ironman World Championships is a full triathlon with a total of 140.6 miles or some 226 kilometers, exactly double the distance of the Cobra CamSur Ironman 70.3 here which is equivalent to about 113 kilometers.

Cobra CamSur Ironman 70.3 2010 and 2011 back-to-back champion Pete Jacobs trailed countryman Alexander by 5 minutes and 15 seconds at 8:09:11 to land Men Pro first runner-up followed by German Andreas Raelert at third with 8:11:07.

Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington made a successful comeback after an illness layoff to defend her course records and post her fourth Ford Ironman Women Pro championship with an 8:55:08 finish, a minute short of her own record set in 2009.

Australian Mirinda Carfrae finished second with 8:57:57 followed by another Briton Leanda Cave at 9:03:29.

Raña who started out as a cyclist is a member of the CamSur Tri team organized by Governor LRay Villafuerte in 2009 just after the maiden launch of the Cobra Cam Sur Ironman 70.3 here.

He qualified for the Ford Ironman World Championship after finishing second in his category and 24th overall in the last Cobra CamSur Ironman 70.3 held here.

Despite a relatively short stint as a triathlete, JR has had extensive exposure and amassed an impressive record in multi-sports skirmishes: 6th in the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship in Phuket, Thailand in December 2010; 1st place and best time run split in 25-29 age group in the ITY Subic Bay International Triathlon 2011 in May 2011; overall champion of the Speedo National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) in Subic in February 2011; 1st place in 18-29 age group in the Tri King in Matabungkay Beach Resort in July 2010; 2nd place in 18-24 age group in the ITU Subic Bay International Triathlon 2010 Asian Cup & AST Junior & U23 Triathlon Championship in May 2010.

Other notable finishers in the Kailua-Kona Ford Ironman World Championships are Alaska’s CEO and godfather of Philippine triathlon Wilfred Steven Uytengsu (50-54 years) 12:43:58 (rank 1,461); Ferdinand Catabian II (30-34) 11:22:51 (rank 1,152); Rene Tayag (35-39) 11:31:33 (rank 1,201); Ramon Rodriguez (25-29) 11:44:33 (rank 1,273); Marco Dayrit (40-44) 11:46:30 (rank 1,284); Lorenzo Ocampo (45-49) 13:13:52 (rank 1,530); Peter Gonzales (40-44) 11:33:08 (rank 1,211) and solo Filipina finisher Alessandra Gonzales (30-34) 11:33:08 (rank 1,210). (GBClaveria/MMEC)

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