US triathletes pull out, Galura remains upbeat

The ongoing war between goverment troops and a rebel group in Mindanao has claimed new victims far from the battleground in Marawi City.

This after 12 American triathletes have pulled out from the Cobra IronMan 70.3 Philippines race in Cebu this Sunday citing security concerns due to the two-month old war, the Resorts World Manila attack last June and the implementation of martial law in Mindanao.

“It (the withdrawal) happened one at a time. They have heard from news reports about the situation in the Philippines so they decided to withdraw from the race,” said Sunrise Events Inc. general manager Princess Galura in a press briefing yesterday.

Galura said it was a “painful” development because it was beyond their control. She however, expressed confidence of a smooth IronMan race this Sunday.

The registration fee of the 12 who backed out totalled USD3,300 which SEI had to refund.

This year’s race has attracted 2,700 particpants including 800 foreigners and 1,900 locals.

Galura revealed that a total of 2,764 security personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) including K9 units and force multipliers will be deployed on race day.

The Cobra IronMan 70.3 Philippines is considered as the ‘Crown Jewel of Asia’ by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), due to its smooth hosting and exciting sidelights. And SEI, according to Galura is bent on duplicating or surpassing that feat.

One of the event’s major concerns in the past, the 90-kilometer bike route that covers the cities of Lapu-lapu, Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay has already been taken cared of by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Galura said.

She said that the DPWH is currently implementing repairs on the bike route although no major damage was noticed.

The four LGUs, she said, will also field their own volunteers and such as barangay tanods, medical teams, traffic enforcers and PNP personnel to ensure an enjoyable and memorable race.

Festive atmosphere

Galura also revealed that a festive mood is already enveloping Lapu-lapu City which will host most of the event’s races.

“The streets in Lapu-lapu has been repainted and they look very neat and festive. The face of Datu Lapu-lapu is all over the transition area while colorful race banners are all over the city. The people there are also very excited,” Galura informed.

The 1.9k swim course was opened yesterday as well as the race expo featuring top triathlon brands. A Meet the Pros forum will also be held today as well as the carbo-loading party at the Shangri-La to be highlighted by a fireworks display and cultural show.

Medal to be unvieled

Renowned Cebuano furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue will also unviel the design of the finisher’s medal today. For the last six years, Cobonpue has been designing the coveted hardware.

2GO Express and SEI will also officially forge their partnership for the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines. The linkup will be announced by Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo.

At 5 p.m. today, some 500 participants will also take part in the IronGirl, a 5k fun run featuring the triathletes’ female relatives and loved ones./ WITH CORRESPONDENTS JAMES SAVELLON AND NORMAN MENDOZA