The full distance Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines returns on Sunday in Subic Bay after a two-year hiatus brought by the pandemic.
The race, which features a grueling 3.8-kilometer swim, 180km bike and 42km run, will serve as the first IRONMAN race in two years in the country, as well as in Asia.
“This is two years of pent up enthusiasm. I know so many athletes are eager to get into racing and we’re excited to present this race once again,” said IRONMAN Philippines ambassador Wilfred Uytengsu in Friday’s online press briefing.
A total of 912 participants from 23 countries are competing in the race, which also features the IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay triathlon.
Organizers are making sure they are following strict health protocols to ensure the safety of the athletes.
“We had to make these protocols resilient so that we can race at any alert level possible,” said Princess Galura, general manager of the IRONMAN Group Philippines.
“Since we’re the first in Asia, we want to set an example. And ang importante, we are able to race. We want to start the community again to get back to its feet, to get back into racing. It’s been a long wait.”
The race also offers 45 berths to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii and another 45 slots are also up for grabs for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah.
“Century Tuna is proud to be the title sponsor of the second staging of the full-distance IRONMAN race in the Philippines. The event is the perfect platform to promote a healthy lifestyle, which is the core value of our brand. We hope that the Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines will inspire many Filipinos to pursue their fitness journey,” said Greg Banzon, vice president and general manager of Century Pacific Food, Inc.
Participants expect a challenging course with the swim leg starting at the Subic Bay Boardwalk, the bike run through SCTEX via Tipo gate, and the run leg from SBECC to Maritan Highway leading up to the scenic El Kabayo road for the first transition.