Ang Pahayagan

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The day before the country will celebrate its Independence, triathletes will be let loose to race in the third IRONMAN® Philippines on June 11, 2023, at Subic Bay.

Once a military base for the United States, the Freeport zone will be the playground for approximately a thousand athletes. Known to be one of the hottest IRONMAN races, participants from 42 countries around the world including the USA, Australia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Sweden, Myanmar, Singapore, and others will join their Filipino brethren to race, this time, on a new bike and run course. 

Situated on the western coast of Luzon Island, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is one of the major economic hubs in the Philippines. Subic Bay has become a popular destination for tourism and leisure activities, offering hotels, resorts, golf courses, water sports, and other recreational facilities. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan is looking forward to this weekend’s race as he “gun starts” the activities. 

“One of our claims to fame is being the ‘Triathlon Capital of the Philippines’ and we take pride in being a witness to the accomplishments of the Filipino IRONMAN. We are inspired by the athletes and organizers with this passion to bring out the best in themselves and the events, and we continue to promote Subic Bay as a nirvana for sports tourism because of that,” Tan said. 

Three events will be held over the weekend – the Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines, IRONMAN® 70.3® Subic Bay, and the IRONKIDS® Triathlon. The full distance IRONMAN Philippines race, set over a 3.8-km swim, 180 km bike and 42 km run has been pegged as the race to be for Filipino athletes. 

Greg Banzon, EVP and COO of Century Pacific Food Inc. wants the locals to have the opportunity to experience the honor and “Maging Ironman Sa Sariling Bayan (Become an IRONMAN in your own country), a statement coined in 2018 with Monching Romano. “It resonates with a lot of our local community. Being an IRONMAN in your playground is a source of pride,” Banzon said. Noting the race’s festive atmosphere, he added, “It has been a good partnership with Sunrise Events Inc., the organizer of IRONMAN events in the Philippines. They have been able to harness the spirit of the sport and is in tandem with what Century wants to stand for, which is health and fitness.” 

This year, Filipinos will have the chance to take part in the co-hosted IRONMAN World Championship events in Nice, France for the men’s race in September and in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i for the women’s race in October. “Last year, was an amazing contingent to Kona, both men and women. The largest contingent we’d ever sent,” said Fred Uytengsu, founder of Sunrise Events. “Andrew Messick, the president and CEO of The IRONMAN Group, was there to greet us for a welcome breakfast. Filipino triathletes have made a huge impression on the IRONMAN world. We’ve seen the benefits in our community – of training and racing, and the joy and pride that we get being IRONMAN triathletes,” he added. Adding to the hundreds of triathletes that have raced in the pinnacle event in long-course triathlon, 50 slots have been allotted for the Nice race, while 25 slots will be rewarded for the Kona race. 

Not only will the full-distance racers have the opportunity to race on the world’s stage, but 30 seats will also be offered for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland. 

Regional Director for the IRONMAN Group, Princess Galura, has brought a new challenge for the race, “Triathletes in both distances will relish the challenge of a different course this year – after a swim at the bay, the uphill battle of the past has been diverted to a flatter course. There will be many personal bests waiting to be achieved. Competitive athletes can expect a smooth and speedy racecourse as they vie for a Championship title,” she said. 

Czech Petr Lukosz took the top honors in last year’s edition of the full distance IRONMAN Philippines at 9:52:34 with Filipino, Jet Ramos, finishing second overall at 10:39:48. Ines Santiago, who went on to become the first Filipina finisher in the IRONMAN World Championship in 2022, will be back this year after finishing 20th overall at 12:13:27. 

The Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines and IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay is backed by Global Premier Partners Vinfast, Active, Gatorade, Hoka, Roka, and Breitling; with Global Technical Partners Athletic Brewing Co., Fulgaz, Hyperice, Qatar Airways, Red Bull, Santini, Wahoo; Asia Supplier Partners Always Advancing, Compressport, Ekoi and Nirvana; Media Partners Outside+ and Sportograf. Title Partner Century Tuna of Century Pacific Foods Inc., and Venue Host Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Official Hydration Partner Lightwater, Bike Leg Racing Partner NLEX & SCTEX, Official Courier & Logistics Partner 2Go, and Official Insurance Provider Prudential Guarantee. Event Partners Teresa Marble Corp., Regent, Santé, The Philippine Star, One Sports, and Cignal.  For more information about the 2023 Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines and IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay triathlon www.ironman.com/im-philippines or sai.mayol@ironman.com. For more information about the IRONMAN TriClub program, registering a club or affiliating with your team www.ironman.com/triclubs. For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, please visit www.ironman.com.