Triathlon star John Alcala braces for a tough competition against a stellar cast out to foil his drive for a third straight win in endurance racing in the 5150 Dapitan firing off on 10 September in Zamboanga del Norte.

The Digos City native is easily the top bet in the Olympic-distance race set over the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40km bike and 10km run after ruling the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa late last year and the 5150 Subic last June.

But while Alcala looms as the man-to-beat, a slew of seasoned campaigners are also coming into the blue-ribbon event all geared up, including last year's Bohol 5150 winner Satar Salem, Andrew Remolino, Jailani Lamama, Jonathan Pagaura, Jorry Ycong and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Fernando Casares, among others.

That ensures a spirited battle for top honors in the very first triathlon that the historic Dapitan City is hosting with Mayor Seth Jalosjos guaranteeing a memorable racing experience for the competing international field that also includes those vying in the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint.

A sub-category to the 5150 triathlon series, the short-distance triathlon series, also dubbed as S2, will be contested over the 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run.