Dumaguete Triathlon 2024
The Dumaguete Triathlon is a sports event organized by the organization Achtung Larga Biya wherein three race categories—biking, swimming, and running—are joined together for participants to compete in a relay either as individuals or as teams. This triathlon was held primarily in areas around Dumaguete Boulevard, Pantawan People Park, and the city streets. This occurred on the 10th of November at 6:00 AM in the morning. Participants in this triathlon all came from different and faraway places, with some participants even coming from Bacolod or Mindanao.
Since I was only a spectator to the triathlon, I only watched from the sidelines of the finish line. I initially expected there to only be middle-aged participants, but to my surprise there were actually some young adults, even teens, who joined in and even adults aged 50 and above who also participated in the race. It was a pleasant surprise, however, since it gave me hope that age truly does not become an excuse when it comes to caring for your health through physical activities. While all the participants did such good jobs in finishing the race in their own time, I was amazed at the women who joined in the race, especially the first female finisher of the race. It must have taken her so many years of training to actually get her abilities to that point, was all I could think when I saw her nearing the finish line. Seeing her finish gave me the push to actually finally focus on my health as well so that maybe one day I can also achieve abilities similar to hers.
This event has opened my eyes to the unending possibilities the human body can achieve regardless of age. Teens, adults, and seniors were biking, swimming, and running all the same throughout the race, and while they did finish on their own times, they would still do better than the average person. This has made me realize that there truly is no excuse for me to not focus on exercising, especially when I have so much time on my hands. I want to see more of the Dumaguete Triathlon in the future and hopefully learn from them as well, so I will be sure to wait for announcements for when the next race does happen. This event’s benefits are endless to the participants and holds many lessons for the spectators as well. Should I be able to spectate the event again, I would not change a thing at all.
Because of this activity, I am more inclined now to focus on my health and well-being through exercise and not give myself excuses for not doing so. After all, if a 60-year-old can blaze through a triathlon, why wouldn’t I, a 21-year-old woman, be able to run or jog just to get back in shape?