ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider IRONKIDS breaks ground with neurodivergent athletes

IRONKIDS breaks ground with neurodivergent athletes

Published Mar 19, 2026 12:17 pm

At A Glance

  • A major highlight of this year's event is its strong push for inclusivity, led by Sunrise Events, Inc., the host city, and RLC Residences, as nine neurodivergent athletes take part – marking a breakthrough moment for the race.
The RLC Residences’ IRONKIDS Davao, staged as a duathlon race, is shaping up to be a major highlight in the development of Philippine triathlon, drawing a record 450 participants eager to compete and showcase their skills.
Set on Saturday, March 21, at the Bago Aplaya Esplanade along Davao City Coastal Road, the event serves as the junior counterpart of an international triathlon series, bringing together children aged 6 to 15.
More than just a competition, IRONKIDS offers a vibrant and welcoming environment for both newcomers and experienced young triathletes, blending sport with fun and camaraderie.
Serving as a prelude to the IRONMAN 70.3 Davao on Sunday, March 22, the race adopts a two-discipline format featuring swim and run segments to encourage broader participation, with this year’s field nearly doubling compared to the 2024 edition.
This format ensures a spirited yet friendly competition across four individual age-group categories, along with two relay divisions designed to promote teamwork and accessibility.
A major highlight of this year’s event is its strong push for inclusivity, led by Sunrise Events, Inc., the host city, and RLC Residences, as nine neurodivergent athletes take part – marking a breakthrough moment for the race.
Their participation underscores a significant step forward, demonstrating that young athletes on the autism spectrum can compete alongside their peers in a supportive and empowering environment.
The neurodivergent participants, guided by their respective coaches, are Palmer Taray and Shiela Capin (Kirt Murcia), Keane Ledesma (Arjun Soriano), Nathalia Bentinganan (Kevin Palabao), Jason Gonzaga (Jannus Cantiga), Axel Castillones (Jhun Gerhid), Isagani Saez (Aaron Soriano), Alexis Crispino (Noel Cantiga), and Ethan dela Fuente (Philip dela Fuente).
Also featured is a dedicated kids run, with distances set at 1km for ages 6-10 and 2km for ages 11-15, further expanding opportunities for young participants to be part of the event.
In individual competition, distances vary by age group: 100m swim and 1km run for ages 6-8; 150m swim and 1.5km run for ages 9-10; 200m swim and 1.5km run for ages 11-12; and 250m swim and 2km run for the 13-15 division.
Even before the starting horn sounds, all participants are already considered winners, gaining valuable experience while embracing discipline, sportsmanship, and an active lifestyle.
The IRONKIDS event continues to play a vital role in nurturing future triathlon talents while promoting health and reducing sedentary habits among youth.
Capping the weekend buildup is the Gwapa Dabawenya Run, sponsored by 2GO and presented by Sun Life, on Friday, which attracted over 3,000 participants, while the centerpiece IRONMAN 70.3 Davao promises a world-class showdown with entries from 30 countries competing across the demanding 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21km run course.
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.