PHILIPPINES—Fifty-six members from the Angeles and Quezon City congregations of the Philadelphia Church of God competed in the third annual pcg triathlon on March 27 at the Clearwater Resort in Clark, Pampanga.
The event opened with a group warm-up led by member Gilmer James Onato. While the youngest attendees ran and played in the sand, participants competed in two categories: the sprint (100-m swim, 7-km bicycle race and 3-km run) and the full triathlon (300-m swim, 15-km bicycle race and 5-km run).
“It was a great bonding time, seeing every member of the family doing their very best to finish the race,” Angeles City member Vernadeth Olayta said.
“For me, having done it with my team made it satisfying. We reached the finish line together, and that made our day,” Angeles City teen Sharayah Concepcion said. “It was really encouraging to see everyone doing their best and pushing themselves to the end.”
Due to favorable weather, many crossed the finish line sooner than expected, welcomed by cheering onlookers.
“At first, I joined the triathlon just to challenge myself, to see if I would be able to finish the entire race,” gold-medal winner Ruth Se said. “But when I saw everyone doing their best, I was encouraged to do my best, and, by doing it, I wasn’t only able to finish the race but got a bonus as well: a medal.”
After the race, the pcg members gathered for a picnic and the awards ceremony.
