Omandam, Lim chase Damosa Land 5150 repeat titles

Eryk Omandam and Natasha Doromal-Lim will attempt to defend their overall championships when the Damosa Land 5150 Triathlon returns Sept. 20 on Samal Island in Davao del Norte.

The defending champions expect a more difficult challenge in the second staging as a deeper field of local and foreign triathletes contests the Olympic-distance race.

The course features a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike leg, and a 10-kilometer run.

Omandam and Doromal-Lim conquered the demanding course during last year’s inaugural race, relying on disciplined pacing and strong finishes to secure the men’s and women’s overall crowns against an international field.

Both enter this year’s race confident that sustained training, improved race execution, and experience from their breakthrough victories can help them repeat.

Omandam, a senior Human Resource Management student at the University of Mindanao, surprised more experienced competitors when he won the men’s title in his Damosa Land 5150 debut.

He is expected to again rely heavily on his bike and run performances as he pursues a second consecutive overall championship.

Omandam will also target the men’s 20–24 age-group title in the event organized by Sunrise Events Inc.

The inaugural Damosa Land 5150 established Samal as an emerging stop on the Philippine triathlon calendar by combining a scenic setting with a course that tested athletes across all three disciplines.

Doromal-Lim will likewise return seeking a second straight overall championship.

Her victory last year ended a five-race wait for her first 5150 title.

The 33-year-old will also defend her women’s 30–34 age-group crown.

Doromal-Lim has placed added emphasis on improving her swim preparation while continuing to bank on her strength in the cycling and running legs.

The Samal race will also serve as the fourth and final leg of the four-race 5150 Triathlon Islands of the Philippines Series.

The Philippine Sports Commission-backed circuit is designed to strengthen elite competition while promoting the country’s natural destinations through endurance sports.

The 2026 series opened in Guimaras in March.

It moved to Camiguin in May before heading to Bohol for the third leg.

The Bohol race formed part of the province’s milestone 10th staging of the Olympic-distance event.

The Damosa Land 5150 will close the series in Samal, bringing the globally recognized IRONMAN 5150 brand to another major island destination.

The series is also supported by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, or TIEZA.

Organizers have positioned the circuit as more than a sequence of races, combining sport, tourism, and national destination branding across four Philippine islands.

Each leg offers athletes a competitive course while showcasing local coastlines, rolling hills, scenic highways, culture, and hospitality.

The National Sports Tourism-Inter-Agency Council program likewise seeks to establish the Philippines as a premier destination for world-class sporting events.

The 5150 series forms part of that effort by demonstrating how high-level competition can draw athletes and visitors while promoting Philippine destinations and natural assets.

For Omandam and Doromal-Lim, however, the immediate focus remains on Samal and the challenge of proving that last year’s breakthrough victories can be repeated against an even stronger field.