Nick Baldwin of Seychelles, who ruled the first full Ironman last year, leads the field in the Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay that kicks off on June 2.
And even if the upcoming 1.9km swim-90km bike-21km run event will be just half of the punishing race he ruled the last time out, Baldwin still expects a tougher outing given the depth of the competing field in the centerpiece pro division.
It includes former 70.3 world champion Tim Reed and multititled Sam Betten along with fellow Australians Tim Van Berkel and Conor McKay.
Meanwhile, the sponsoring Big Boss Cement beach clean up on Sunday at Boardwalk kicks off a series of activities culminating in next week’s race. The two-hour public service will also be held on June 3.
Close to thousand triathletes are gearing up for another grueling battle for top honors in various divisions, including the Asian Elite and the 12 age-group categories. The event also features relay competitions for male, female and mixed teams.
Australia’s Dimity Lee Duke leads the chase in women’s pro division and will be challenged by New Zealand’s Laura Wood and Guam’s Manami Iijima.