Ironman Philippines holds first race in 2 years

MANILA, Philippines – Century Tuna Ironman Philippines presented by Big Boss Cement returns with a bang after a two-year pandemic absence as it stages a full-distance and 70.3 races Sunday in Subic Bay in Zambales.

A total of 912 participants, including over a hundred foreigners from 23 countries are seeing action in the 3.8-kilometer swim, 180km bike and 42km run race staking 45 slots to the Ironman World Championships on October 6 and 8 in Kona, Hawaii.

The event will also stage a 70.3 race with participants to be flagged off 20 minutes before the full-distance Ironman with another 45 berths would be staked for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah on May 7.

“The racing community will have a chance to release two years of pent up enthusiasm and eager to get in to swim, get to their bike and lay it up all there on the run,” said Ironman Philippines ambassador Fred Uytengsu.

“We’re also looking in setting an example on how to stage a race safely and return to normalcy for the racing community not just in Subic Bay and in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia,” he added.

Ironman Asia Managing Director Jeff Edwards, who attended the online presser alongside Ironman Philippines general manager Princess Galura, Century Tuna chief operating officer Greg Banzon, race director Neville Manaois and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority senior deputy administrator Atty. Ramon Agregado, said the key for the return is community support.

“The most important thing is having community ready to support and capable of supporting the event and it is important to recognize their efforts,” said Edwards.

Galura said this is the first Ironman race in Asia since the pandemic happened two years ago.

“Pinoys we have to be proud because this is the first live race in Asia with foreigners. On Sunday, there would be another race but they are doing it all-Taiwanese,” said Galura.

Galura also said they have followed the Inter-Agency Task Force guidelines and would implement strict protocols to keep the more than a thousand people in the race bubble safe.

“We went through the eye of the needle in the last 18 months,” said Galura, who shed tears of joy and relief. “We have to make these protocols resilient so we can race at every alert level possible."