IRONMAN 70.3 Davao unfolds

DAVAO – With over a thousand participants from 49 countries and 55 World Championship slots, the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines’ return to Davao City will be a race like no other when it is fired off today at Azuela Cove.

With the pros headlining the huge mix of runners, it will indeed be a unique race in terms of participation and collaboration, this being the only race that features professionals in a slew of races slated under The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc. banner this year.

It offers $30,000 for winners in the highlight pro division with Portugal’s Filipe Azevedo, Tuan Chun Chang of Taiwan and Aussies Matthew Tonge and Nick Carling bannering the men’s cast and the seasoned Dimity-Lee Duke and fellow Aussie Sarah Crowley and United Arab Emirates’ Lottie Lucas of United Arab Emirates tipped to dispute the women’s tiara in the 1.9k swim-90k bike-21k run distance event powered by Petron.

The event also serves as a qualifying race to the World Championship on Aug. 26-27 in Lahti Finland with 30 age-group berths and 25 extra slots for women up for grabs.

Aside from the individual, relay all-male, relay all-female and relay mixed events, it also features a 12-man team competition (Tribu Maisugon) to honor of the 11 tribes of the host city with the winning squad pocketing P550,000, including P500,000 from Davao City and P50K from Aboitiz.