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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Focus on Asia TriClub as IM Puerto Princesa unwraps

Focus on Asia TriClub as IM Puerto Princesa unwraps

Published Nov 11, 2023 05:28 am

At A Glance

  • The IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa reels off here on Sunday, Nov. 12, with the spotlight on the Asia TriClub and Relay Championship while keeping accent on individual performances both in the overall race and in various age-group categories.

PUERTO PRINCESA – The IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa reels off here on Sunday, Nov. 12, with the spotlight on the Asia TriClub and Relay Championship while keeping accent on individual performances both in the overall race and in various age-group categories.

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Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron (back row, second from left) stresses a point during the press launch of the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa. 

TriClubs from Singapore, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and the host country set out for a test not only of power and endurance in the punishing 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21.1km run race. Emphasis will also be on teamwork, the IM 70.3 Puerto Princesa serving as first-time host to the IRONMAN TriClub Championship Series, making it the 10th event globally in the season about to end.

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron is putting up P500,000 for the club to produce the fastest cumulative time of the Top 5 members, regardless of age and gender. The points will be counted based on results and number of participants from each tri club.

For details, log on to ironman.com/im703-puerto-princesa.

This guarantees a spirited chase for top honors in the Asia TriClub Series, which has staged championships across five regions, including Panama, Oceanside, Marbella, Australia, Victoria, Virginia's Blue Ridge, Steelhead, Maine and Wisconsin.

“On behalf of Puerto Princesa City, I would like to thank IRONMAN for giving us the honor of being the first and only Asia TriCub Championship and Asia Relay Championship host as we hold the IM 70.3 for the second straight year,” said Mayor Bayron.

The host city is also putting up P60,000 for the overall male and female finishers while the winners in the relay competitions – all-male, all-female, mixed – and the fastest in swim, bike and run will receive P10,000 each.

John Alcala, who earned the bragging rights after emerging the first IM 70.3 Puerto Princesa champion last year, is all geared up for a title repeat with Dutch Eric van der Linden, who won the IM full triathlon in Subic last June, out to make up for his sixth place finish the first time out.

Others tipped to figure in the overall individual race are Sprint champ Dai Matsui of Japan and Men’s Open titlist Aday Alvarez Diez De Ulzurrun of Spain along with local aces Satar Salem, Jailani Lamamam, Usama Dimaporo, Mervin Santiago and Jethro Ramos.

“I will do my best to beat my personal record and defend the crown,” said Alcala, spearhead of Team Tri SND Barracuda, who banked on his running skills in the closing leg to upstage a slew of fancied rivals in 4:32:20 at the Ramon Mitra Jr. Sports Complex last year.

Fancied to contend for the women's tiara are Leyann Ramo, Angelica Rejas, May Dalinog, Germany's Sabina Ossyra, Meeren Aguilar, Catherine Wood of the US, Jessica Morillo and Nica Virtucio, among others.

The event also stakes 40 age-group qualifying slots plus an additional 15 spots for women to the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship on Dec. 14-15 in Taupo, New Zealand.

Bidders from 39 countries are also all set for battle in various age group divisions in the race featuring a combination of a demanding course and the incredible support from the local community for a unique and memorable racing experience.

“The opportunity to take an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship slot in Puerto Princesa has drawn many participants in. Racing a World Championship event organized by a world-class team is within reach,” said Princess Galura, regional director of the IRONMAN Group Philippines. “We have 55 slots to give away – that means 55 people from this race will be in the World Championship course in New Zealand next year.”

The age-group rolling start fires off at 6:25 a.m. with each participant given 70 minutes to finish the 1.9K swim at Puerto Princesa Baywalk. The bike cutoff is five hours and 30 minutes from the last rolling start release while the run cutoff is eight hours and 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, the organizing The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc. also announced that the IRONMAN 70.3 in Cebu and Davao next year will be sponsored by the RLC (Robinsons Land Corp.) Residences.
 

Backers of the event are Vinfast, Active, Gatorade, HOKA, ROKA, Breitling 1884, Athletic Brewing Co., Fulgaz, Hyperice, Qatar Airways, Red Bull, Santini and Wahoo.

Other supporters are Always Advancing, Compressport, Ekoi and Nirvana, Outside+ and Sportograf.com, City of Puerto Princesa and RLC Residences, Sante Barley, Lightwater, Prudential Guarantee, Regent Foods, The Philippine Star, One Sports+ and Cignal.

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