IRONMAN 70.3 LAPU-LAPU CEBU: Changes add spice to race weekend

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu boasts several exciting changes and innovative additions for this year’s edition, which unfolds this Sunday, August 9, at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City.

A total of 1,412 triathletes from 48 countries will take on the iconic 70.3-mile (113-kilometer) course, which consists of a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike ride, and a 21.1-kilometer run. The bike course will once again feature the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), the longest bridge in the Philippines, giving participants a scenic ride across one of the country’s most iconic landmarks.

With a record 679 young athletes also set to compete in the IronKids race on Saturday, the IRONMAN weekend is poised for another successful staging, highlighted by several new initiatives that aim to make the event even more relevant and exciting.

During the press conference on Friday, August 8, at the Mactan Expo, IRONMAN Philippines and Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI) general manager Princess Galura introduced four new offerings for participants, spectators, and Cebu’s growing triathlon community.

In her speech, Galura reiterated that the Cebu leg of the IRONMAN 70.3 remains the “Queen of All Races in Asia” after 12 editions since its arrival in Cebu in 2012.

“I am proud to say this, that this is still the Queen of all the IRONMAN 70.3 races in Asia. As what Mayor Cindi (King-Chan) has prepared, there are a lot of things that are new in the swim, bike, and run, so see you at the finish line,” said Galura.

Each year, the IRONMAN 70.3 race in Cebu introduces something new for participants, whether through course enhancements, finisher medals, or other race features, making every edition unique and memorable.

4 key changes

This year, Galura identified four key additions: the Sidlak Bagani program, the partnership with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), the collaboration with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the utilization of the Mactan Expo at The Mactan Newtown.

“The Sidlak Bagani program is a new program we are starting with Lapu-Lapu City as they celebrate 65 years of being a city. We are sponsoring 65 children to be trained for one month under the supervision of our IRONMAN coaches. After that, they will participate in the IronKids on Saturday,” Galura said.

For its partnership with Tieza, Galura explained that the main objective is to further strengthen sports tourism in the country, which also aligns with the PSC’s thrust of promoting sports development.

In addition, the partnership between IRONMAN 70.3 and the PSC centers on discovering new talents through the sprint race, where current national team members will compete against local standouts. Organizers hope the local athletes can match or even surpass the national team members’ times, allowing them to identify potential diamonds in the rough for future national team consideration.

Lastly, this year’s staging also marks the event’s first use of the Mactan Expo, the first standalone convention center built by Megaworld within The Mactan Newtown. The venue currently hosts the race expo, race kit distribution, and several sidelight activities, providing athletes and visitors with a more spacious and world-class event experience throughout the race weekend.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.