Laguna Phuket host triathlon
Vying for USD20,000 prize money, top athletes will compete at the 25th Laguna Phuket Triathlon to be hosted on Phuket island 18 November. Celebrating its 25th year the race is Asia’s longest standing triathlon attracting a big turnout ouf ‘elite’ competitors. Headlining this year’s pro field is Bart Aernouts (Belgium) who recently finished 2nd at World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
He will be joined by Stuart Hayes (UK), Per van Vlerken (Germany), Marcel Zamora Perez (Spain) and Massimo Cigana (Italy) who currently holds four-time LPT champions title.
In the women’s field, sports fans will get to see top performances by LPT podium veterans Emma Pallent (UK) and Yvonne van Vlerken (Netherlands), the latter is nicknamed “The Flying Dutchwoman” and holding a world record by breaking the 9-hour barrier 13 times.
Both are expected to race neck-and-neck with World Champion Annabel Luxford (Australia) who raced her first triathlon at the age of nine and was invited to join the Australian national team at 17. Annabel won her first ITU World Championship (under-23 category) in 2004.
Thai triathletes will be led by Phuket-born, Jaray Jearanai, who holds the record as LPT’s Thai champion for seven consecutive years (since 2011) and recently broke his own record at the World Championship in Kona.
The 25th Laguna Phuket Triathlon will consist of a 1.8Km swim, 50Km bike and 12Km run on a circuit in and around the ‘Laguna Phuket’ resort complex.
LPT’s first short distance race 25 For 25 Sprint will be staged for the first time this year as a part of LPT’s 25th anniversary celebration.
The sold-out sprint triathlon race comprises a 0.5Km swim, 18.5Km bike and 6Km run, totalling 25Km to echo LPT’s 25th year. The race day will be participated by thousands of athletes and spectators from around the world.
2018 LPT will also see the second annual LPT Charity Fun Run. Scheduled for Saturday 17 November it will feature a 2Km Kids run, 5Km and 10Km runs. The Charity Fun Run raises funds to support more than 400 underprivileged children in Phuket’s seven orphanages through the Children First Fund (CFF).
