PAL named carrier of Ironman 70.3 international triathlon

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Airlines has been named the official carrier of the prestigious Ironman 70.3 Philippines triathlon event, organizers announced recently.

The competition, which is open to Filipino and international triathletes, will be held on Aug. 22 in Camarines Sur in the Bicol region.

The event is a challenging 70.3-mile triathlon race where competitors swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles around a demanding course in Camarines Sur, which has gained worldwide attention as the newest sports tourism capital of the Philippines.

The race starts at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC), which boasts of the largest wakeboard park in the world, where the athletes dive into the freshwater lagoon for the swim leg.

They then pedal through the national highway before taking the lung-busting half-marathon through several towns towards the provincial capital Naga City, before finishing back at the CWC.

The competition is open to men and women aged at least 18 years. Participants compete individually or as part of a relay team comprising three athletes regardless of gender or nationality under a corporate or collegiate set-up.

Last year’s inaugural Ironman 70.3 Philippines event attracted 409 individual participants and 58 relay teams. Twenty-three countries were represented.

Terenzo Bozzone of New Zealand won the Ironman 70.3 Philippines title with a time of three hours, 51 minutes, 26 seconds, in a close race with Chris McCormack of Australia, who finished less than a minute behind.

Lisa Bentley of Canada was the top female finisher with a time of four hours, 24 minutes, 30 seconds, while Noy Jopson was the fastest local competitor with a time of four hours, 38 minutes, 33 seconds.

For more information on the Ironman event, visit www.ironman703phil.com.

Philippine Airlines is a long-time supporter of sports tourism. The flag carrier organizes two major golf events every year – the PAL Interclub, considered the national clubs championship of the Philippines, and the Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational, a tournament for its frequent flyers.

PAL also backs a number of important national and international sports events, and regularly flies Philippine national sports contingents to competitions overseas.