‘Pinoy Aquaman’ Ingemar Macarine during the 2024 Summer Forest Half Marathon in Triangle, Virginia. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — ‘Pinoy Aquaman’ Ingemar Macarine made sure to make the most out of his US trip despite the cancellation of his Canada-to-US open water swim.
Macarine’s supposedly long-distance open water swim from Canada to the United States slated this month was canceled due to documentation problems.
The 48-year-old Macarine was supposed to swim 10 kilometers from Canada to the United States to set another record in his already stacked open-water swim resume.
Despite this huge setback, Macarine made sure his trip there would be productive after he joined races there such as a half marathon run dubbed as the 2024 Summer Forest Half Marathon in Triangle, Virginia.
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“I was supposed to swim from Canada to the US in the second week of July. However, I had to cancel it due to documentation requirements. I never expected the numerous documentary requirements that I had to comply with just to make the swim. In the Philippines, there’s no documentation required,” Macarine, who is also a prosecutor of Bohol told CDN Digital.
And the obstacles was not only limited to his canceled open water swim. Macarine said he also faced a major challenge while joining the half marathon in Virginia.
“I never expected the tough uphill run course. I had to drop out of the race after running 10 miles because of my plantar fasciitis. I never studied the uphill trail run. I thought it was a flat course with few uphills. But imagine an 80% uphill run? My first to race such a course. Lesson learned- study the run course before registering,” Macarine shared.
Macarine’s Canada to US swim would have been more daunting considering that he has to swim on ice waters. However, he had done this before when he swam Chesapeake Bay from Bay Bridge Marina to Sandy Point Park Beach in Annapolis, Maryland, and his famous swim from Alcatraz Island Penitentiary to San Francisco, California.
In the meantime, the Pinoy Aquaman didn’t announce if he will have an open water swim for the rest of 2024.
“I decided not to sked another swim in the US in this short vacation. I have little time to organize a big swim here. It’s easy to organize a swim in the Philippines. But it’s different here,” he said.
Last March, Macarine conquered the Capiz Sea after he swam 10k from Olotayan Island to mainland Roxas City in three hours and 15 minutes.
Currently, he has completed 38 open water swims with majority of his stints dedicated to his advocacy of marine conservation and a healthy lifestyle.
Before heading back to the Philippines, the Pinoy Aquaman is planning to join an Olympic-distance triathlon race in New Jersey on July 21.