1,400 triathletes to compete in 12th Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A record field of 1,400 triathletes from around the world is set to test their endurance in the 12th staging of the Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu on Sunday, August 9, with organizers promising the biggest and grandest edition of Asia’s premier triathlon race.

The turnout eclipses last year’s 1,217 participants, according to Ironman Group Philippines and Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI) General Manager Princess Galura, highlighting the event’s growing popularity as one of the country’s premier endurance competitions.

Adding to the festival atmosphere are the race’s side events, which have also attracted impressive participation. More than 800 runners are expected to join the Reyna Bulakna Run on Friday at the Mactan Shrine, while over 600 young athletes will take part in the Ironkids race on Saturday at the Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort. The youth event features swim-run races for participants aged six to 15 across four individual age-group categories and two mixed relay divisions.

The main event will challenge competitors with a grueling 70.3-mile (113-kilometer) course consisting of a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike ride, and a 21.1-kilometer run. Athletes will race through the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Cordova before reaching portions of Cebu City, with the bike course once again showcasing the iconic Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), the country’s longest bridge spanning 8.9 kilometers and linking Mactan Island to mainland Cebu.

Ironman 70.3

As in previous editions, thousands of student volunteers from various schools and universities are expected to line the race route to assist participants and cheer them on, creating an electrifying atmosphere that has become one of the event’s signature attractions. Major roads across Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova, and parts of Cebu City will also be temporarily closed and traffic rerouted to safely accommodate the thousands of athletes and support personnel throughout race day.

Adding even more excitement, several well-known personalities, celebrity athletes, and fitness advocates are also expected to join the race, further boosting interest in one of the country’s most anticipated sporting spectacles.

**READ: Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu race course unveiled **

Josh Ferris of Australia and Amelia Watkinson of New Zealand ruled the men’s and women’s professional divisions, respectively, in last year’s edition, with Ferris delivering a dominant performance and Watkinson successfully reclaiming the women’s crown in her return to Cebu.

This year’s pro field features new faces such as Japanese Kenshin Mizushima, Chinese Miao Hao, Australia’s Nathalie Van Coevorden, Paige Cranage, Sarah Thomas, John Samuel Fothergill, Ben Hamilton, Thomas Inigo, Nathan Dortman, Christian Davey, Cassie Heaslip, and Brett Clifford.

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