INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? More than 300 athletes from 20 countries are set to join next month?s Ironman triathlon at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex, according to organizers.

The Ironman, scheduled on August 23, is touted as one of the most challenging triathlon events in the world, the race course covering a total of 70.3 miles.

With just a month away, race organizers of the Ironman 70.3 are busy checking all the facilities needed for the international triathlon event.

?We?re making sure that everything will go well starting from the accommodations up to the race course,? said Princess Galura, Ironman Philippines project director.

Galura noted that around 320 registered for the individual category while 100 signed up for relay category. Participants are categorized into age groups ? from 18-24 years old to 65 and above.

?We?re expecting more until the end of the registration on July 31,? said Galura.

Joining Filipino triathletes are those from Australia, Japan, United States, Hong Kong, and Iraq.

?One of the things that we want to achieve is to showcase Filipino hospitality. That even if we have problems, we can still smile,? said Galura.

The race starts at exactly 7 a.m., participants will need to hurdle swimming from the big lake to the small lake. ?Participants should take note of their buoyancy since it is not an open sea,? said Galura.

The bike course covers 90 kilometers and will take pass through the national highway with the turnaround at Nato Port, which offers a glimpse of picturesque Mount Isarog, before heading back to CamSur Water Complex (CWC).

From CWC, participants will run a total of 21.1 kilometers on different surfaces passing by rice paddies, schools, and communities until they reach the finish line back to CWC.

?We want the participants to experience the rural part of the Philippines and see how welcoming people in the province are,? said Galura.

The first person to cross the finish line of the race within the cut-off time at 3:00pm wins $25,000 as prize.

?If ever a Filipino wins the Ironman, even if there?s no cash prize, it?s really an honor to be the first Filipino Ironman Champion. Finishing the Ironman itself is an achievement,? said Galura.

Some of the proceeds of the race will be donated to the Triathlon Association of the Philippines.

?We hope to build camaraderie among the participants, and eventually become a triathlon community,? said Galura.