Filipnos Joy Trupa and Kim Mangrobang finished second and third, respectively at the Asia Triathlon Duathlon Championships in Manama, Bahrain on Sunday (Feb. 23, 2025). Trupa is among the favorites in the National Age Group Aquathlon and Duathlon Championships in Cavite on March 2 while Mangrobang will not be around. (Photo courtesy of Jolu Ocampo)
Preparations are complete for the National Age Group Aquathlon and Duathlon Championships, which will take place this weekend at Cavite’s Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub. The aquathlon is scheduled for March 1, with the duathlon following the next day.
Merry Joy Trupa is eager to win, mainly because Marion Kim Mangrobang will not compete in this tournament organized by Triathlon Philippines under Tom Carrasco’s leadership. Last Sunday, at the 2025 Asia Triathlon Duathlon Championships in Manama, Bahrain, Trupa earned a silver medal, while Mangrobang took the bronze.
In that race, Trupa completed the 5km run–30km bike–5km run course in 1:29:16, just behind Chinese athlete Ziqing Lu, who finished in 1:28:24, whereas Mangrobang recorded a 1:33:14.
Mangrobang, a three-time triathlon champion and consecutive SEA Games duathlon gold medalist, now leads the women’s squads across the Elite, Under-23, and Junior divisions. Her team features athletes such as Raven Faith Alcoseba, Kira Ellis, Erika Nicole Burgos, Lady Samantha Jhunace Corpuz, and Katrina Salazar.
On the men’s side, the Elite and Under-23 teams include Andrew Kim Remolino, Matthew Justine Hermosa, Joshua Alexander Ramos, Iñaki Emil Lorbes, Juan Miguel Tayag, and Juan Francisco Baniqued, while the Junior Elite group is represented by Dayshaun Karl Ramos, Darell Johnson Bada, Euan Arrow Ramos, and Peter Sancho del Rosario.
The men’s duathlon team is led by SEA Games double-gold medalist John Leerams Chicano, featuring Maynard Pecson, John Patrick Ciron, Irienold Reig Jr., and Franklin Yee. Trupa will join teammates Jena Valdez and Bea Marie Quiambao on the women’s side.
Last year, Andrew Kim Remolino and Erika Nicole Burgos dominated the National Age Group Aquathlon at the same venue, setting high expectations for this weekend’s events.