The swim segment of Ironman 2022. | File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Mactan Newtown in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City will remain the epicenter of international triathlon in the Philippines.
This is after the Ironman Group Philippines, Sunrise Events Inc., and Megaworld Corporation renewed their partnership for the staging of the biggest triathlon race in the country, the Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu, on April 24, 2024.
The announcement was officially made on Monday, December 4, 2023, through a social media post from the official page of the Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu.
The entire Mactan Newtown features over 30 hectares of upscale community, shopping, and open space, sufficient to accommodate more than a thousand triathletes from different countries competing in the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90k bike, and 21k run, covering the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, and Cordova town.
It can be recalled that Mactan Newtown first hosted the race as its official venue in last year’s return of the Ironman 70.3 Philippines, which attracted around 1,928 triathletes from 46 countries.
It was the first time the race was transferred to a different venue from the plush 13-hectare five-star resort hotel, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, which is technically beside Mactan Newtown.
Similar to last year, the swim course will be at the Mactan Newtown beachfront, while the bike course will traverse the Philippines’ longest bridge, the 8.9km Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), and will cover parts of the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City and the Municipality of Cordova.
Meanwhile, the run course will be same as last year which follows the Punta Engaño Road.
Last July, Ironman Philippines rebranded the Ironman 70.3 Philippines to Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu.
Instead of its usual August schedule, the race was moved five months earlier, on April 24, to make it part of the major activities during the “Kadaugan sa Mactan.”
RELATED STORIES
Ironman 70.3 returns to Cebu in April 2024
New Cebu bridge to feature prominently in Ironman 70.3