Will Ironman 70.3 return next year?

CEBU is supposed to host the Ironman 70.3 until next year.

But Sunrise Events, Inc. (SEI) general manager Princess Galura said they will have to wait for the reactions of the participants to the new 90-kilometer bike phase of the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship happening on August 5 before deciding if they will return for another year.

“We have to see how the people will accept the changed course because right now, they did not have any violent reaction, they welcomed the change given that that they know the hardships that we went through to get it but let’s see how they will feel after the race, then let’s see if we will get a second course because we don’t know if we will get SRP back,” said Galura.

This, despite the Cebu Ironman 70.3 earning the most spectator-friendly tag by members of the Ironman community all over the world, besting events like the Ironman European Championship, Frankfurt and Ironman Australia and Ironman Mont-Tremblant, which has been described as a “postcard” race.

Since the first staging in 2012, the international race has been using the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) that traverses the South Road Properties (SRP) as a major part of the bike phase.

But Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña denied SEI the use of the CSCR this year due to traffic congestion concerns brought about by the construction of the P638 million underpass along N. Bacalso Avenue.

The race will now have a new bike route within the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.

The bike phase is the only change as the participants will still start with the 1.9-kilometer swim phase at the waters fronting the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa and after the bike phase will cap their race with the 21-kilometer run in barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City.

Mayor Osmeña, however, has stated that he will resume supporting the Ironman races next year once the tunnel is done.