Present during the launching of this year’s Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines were (from left) Asia Brewery’s Dan Ong and Joseph Cruel, SEI CEO Fred Uytengsu, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, Domingo Ramon Enerio III of DOT and Atty. Mark Tolentino of Cebu Province.
(CDN//GLENDALE G. ROSAL)
Ironman Philippines organizers eye hosting of Asia Pacific Championships
Taguig City—After successfully staging six races in the country, organizers of the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines are aiming for a bigger fish to fry.
In the launching of this year’s edition yesterday at the SM Aura Premier Mall in Taguig City, Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI) said they entered the bidding process for the hosting of the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships, which is usually held in Australia.
SEI, headed by CEO Fred Uytengsu, said the success of this year’s race slated Aug. 2 in Cebu will play a crucial role in the country’s bid for the Asia Pacific Championships.
“It will be our crowning glory if we will be able to get it (hosting),” the Cebuano Uytengsu said. “We have the capability and passion to do this. Anything can happen with this venture but our main priority is on Aug. 2. We want to bring prestige to the country and Cebu, that’s why we are doing our best in our bid. We are crossing our fingers.”
Princess Galura, SEI project director, said based on the 2013 ratings conducted by the Ironman organizing body World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), the Cobra Ironman 70.3 Philippines scored 97.6 percent, making it the second best organized Ironman in the world behind Canada.
Because of this, Galura said that the country has a fighting chance of getting the rights to host the Asia Pacific event, which offers a full Ironman distance of 3.86-kilometer swim, a 180.25-km bike and 42.2 km run. The Ironman 70.3
Philippines features only half the Ironman distance of 1.9-kilometer swim, 90k bike and 21k run.
Galura said they are doing everything to make this year’s race a perfect one especially since representatives from Ironman Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia will be in Cebu to observe the event. They will be here for an Asia Pacific conference on July 30 to Aug. 2.
“Talagang may pressure sa side namin mga organizers. So sana magiging successful yung race,” Galura said. (There’s really pressure in the side of the organizers (to do well). So we hope it will be a successful race.)
Cebu will play host to the Ironman 70.3 Philippines for the fifth straight year. The first two were held in Camarines Sur starting in 2009.
ROAD PROBLEMS
In all of the four years (2011-2014) Cebu hosted the event, it was only last year that organizers encountered a glitch due to the bad road condition of the bike route, which traversed the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City and Cebu City.
Galura said the rating from WTC last year plummeted because of this.
“Pinaka importante sa mga participants yung bike kasi yun ang pinakamahaba at napaka tagal ma tapos,” Galura said. (The bike race is the most important for the participants because it has the longest route and it’s the one that takes more time to finish.)
But they are optimistic that this year’s edition will be better, considering the concreting work done by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in partnership with the Cebu City government in the roads that will be used for the bike leg.
Should the country get the hosting chores for the Asia Pacific race, it will be held once more in Cebu in 2016.
This year’s Ironman 70.3 Philippines will start once again at the Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort and Spa.
With Galura and Uytengsu in the launching were Lapu-Lapu City mayor Paz Radaza, Cebu Provincial Government administrator Atty. Mark Tolentino and Asia Brewery’s Chay Cruel.
Defending champions in the pro division, Brent Mcmahon (men’s) of Canada and Caroline Steffen (women’s) of Switzerland will defend their respective titles against around a dozen more professional triathletes, according to Galura.
Former Ironman World champion Pete Jacobs of Australia, who missed the pro division race last year, is also expected to join together with another Aussie Craig Alexander, who is a three-time Ironman World champion and two-time 70.3 winner.