Triathlon history in Pulau Mutiara, Pulau Pinang
If there is one event I have definitely been missing out, it will be this one. For a fourth time this year ! Please leave a shout out in the comment box if you did participate in the multisports event held in Pulau Pinang Pulau Mutiara (Pear of the Orient).
Not written in any text book, as a multisports athlete , if you are one, Pulau Pinang gave birth to Malaysia triathlon back in the days.It was called ‘Merdeka Triathlon’ and was held in 1988 in Batu Feringghi the same year Whitney Houston’s ‘I wanna dance with somebody (who loves me) topped the Billboard chart (okay at least i still feel relevant!).
Let’s Tri and Du It
Fast forward 2013 Penang triathlon revived and kicked full gas with successful event year after year (the fact that its still running is a good sign post jellyfish filled history!). This year, the event was held successfully in Teluk Bahang, a small town but dense with touristic attractions. On April 17th, over 1000 athletes took part in the triathlon and duathlon categories covering 51.5km in total for the triathlon event (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run) , and 57km for the duathlon event (7km run, 40 km bike, 10 km run) .
I manage to capture an aerial view (no, no..no drone) ..using Google Map. The triathletes swam out north from Pantai Jubilee (see the sea shore above the text ‘Teluk Bahang’? Yes, there ! Then they came back to swim start, (its a little different here..) slip on their running shoes and run back around 2km to the transition for the bike leg (transition area is located near the dam). 40km bike with 1 major U-turn near Balik Pulau, followed by a 10km run course consisting of 2 checkpoint at each far end of the route. Race ended at the Start/Finish line near the Teluk Bahang dam. Just in case you were wondering how the participants got to the beach at the northwestern of the island from the transition area, the 550 odd triathletes were transferred from the main event area to swim start.
Brought to you by ‘SPONSOR’
‘SPONSOR’ is the main sponsor of the Penang International Duathlon and Triathlon 2016 – a newcomer in the local scene but number 1 sports drink in neighbouring Thailand. ‘SPONSOR’ is from the same maker of ‘Red Bull’ earth’s number 1 (Felix Baumgartner fans out there, yes??). ‘SPONSOR’ has been around in Thailand for the past 3 decades sponsoring Thailand national basketball championship and the official sports drink for the Thai national football team. In Thailand its available in retail market and convenient stores (ie. 7-Eleven). The sports drink is available in Penang for now for a retail price of RM1.70 at selected supermarkets, minimarts and convenient stores.
The Penang International Triathlon and Duathlon was heavily accentuated with the colour yellow, the official colour of the sports drink. OK, so the finishing carpet was not yellow ! Yellow official tshirt, beach flags, err…bananas?
As I am blogging this, I have a ‘SPONSOR’ Original Flavoured 325ml can next to me. ‘Recommended for sports, exercises and any heat exhaustion’ it says on the top rim of the can. 1g protein, 35g carbs, 290mg sodium and 50mg potassium. So if you’re looking for something new or an alternative to stock you up, check out ‘SPONSOR’. Cost effective? Definitely. I had mine delivered specially by Sponsor’s PR agency EverQuest’s own Marketing Director Ms. Jay Mee Chuah.
Jay Mee, a shout out to you here. Apologies on the delay, but I hope my readers and fellow athletes will catch up with ‘SPONSOR’s unique blend and affordable concoction once it hits the inner land of Klang Valley. For now, guys and gals, look for ‘SPONSOR’ whenever you head up north, specifically in Pulau Pinang.
The results
I know at least four podium finishers of the event– in various categories; the ever youthful Ironman triathlete Jason Thiang, Reclaim’s Ironman Chris Kha Krang and one and only 2ndSkin ambassador Ironman Chan Jun Shen — and another one, Richard Tang, also an Ironman. While the event attracted regular faces of Malaysia triathlon scene, it showcased a positive turnout for local amateur triathletes , duathletes, season and new.
One component of this event which I would like to highlight is the introduction of duathlon category for those who intend to upgrade triathlon, but like to have the transition smoothly as possible or simply new to multisports. Very much understandable for triathlon beginners, and good strategy for pulling the crowd in Penang (and country wide).
So, down to the top 3 for each categories, all worth mentioning , I present to you….the winners :-
More photos from the event in the slideshow below :-
Triathletes, Duathletes
So if you’d like something different in a tri event, I suggest look out for the next registration for Penang Tri and DU it ! Will be interesting and definitely memorable. The organiser did a great job transferring everybody safely from event venue to swim start! No news of jellyfish attack is always a good news and we hope for the safe return of this event NEXT YEAR !
Congratulations to all participants and winners of the race, and a big kudos to the event organising committee, all crew members/volunteers, the local government and official bodies. ‘SPONSOR’ — Well done in making this a reality not just for Malaysian participants, but also for all our guests from around the world; Russia, Norway, Venezuela, Germany and Australia — just to name a few. Malaysian hospitality is here to stay !
Bonus : SPONSOR Fact Sheet
SPONSOR is a sports drink that helps to boost performance, sustain endurance and accelerate recovery for those who are serious sports enthusiasts. SPONSOR can be consumed “during” sport activities to help boost performance by sustaining longer endurance. It is also recommended for consumption “after” sport activities to help accelerate quicker recovery. SPONSOR is brought to you by the same makers as Red Bull, the world’s No.1 selling energy drink. SPONSOR is the No.1 sports drink in Thailand and is currently the official drink for the Thai national football team. Produced in Thailand by TC Pharmaceutical and imported by Allexcel Trading Sdn Bhd., SPONSOR is available currently only in Penang at Happy Mart, 24 Express, 98 Stores and other selected supermarkets and minimarkets. SPONSOR is available in 325 ml can packaging and retails at RM1.70 per can
>>Penang International Triathlon and Duathlon official website <<
missJewelz 
Leave a Reply