Organizers to look into Ironman woes

Sunrise Events said on Monday it will find solutions to snowballing issues over the resche­duled Ironman Philippines race in Subic even as another group of participants, this time based in Abu Dhabi, joined the growing clamor for a refund of its registration fees.

“All I’m asking for is patience. I can understand the anxiety of people,” Princess Galura, the general manager of Sunrise Events, which runs Ironman races in the country, told the Inquirer.

“Just because we haven’t given in to their demands, it doesn’t mean we are not listening,” she added in Filipino.

Over the weekend, two groups have come forward requesting a refund of registration fees following the postponement of the Subic race, which was moved to October from the original schedule early this month due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis.

Last Saturday, a group of seven athletes from Guam said the quarantine protocols set up as a measure to contain the infection will force a readjustment of travel dates if it were to participate in the race and could jeopardize their day jobs. The group, Siklista-Guam Multi Sport, said participating meant being in quarantine two weeks before and after the tournament dates.

The first—and biggest—group to call for a refund was the Ironman Philippines 2020 (One Voice of the Filipinos), which has close to 300 participants. The group said last Friday that with the uncertainty caused by the pandemic “the money [paid by the participants] can be used for more urgent and pressing matters.”

The group added that participants paid over $700 (P35,000) each to register for the race. Sunrise Events is looking at refunds amounting to at least P10.5 million as it stands.

And the number is rising.

Abu Dhabi-based triathlon team ONEdurance is also seeking for a refund or, at the very least, pushing the race to a safer date, when the pandemic has more or less been contained.

“We are requesting a move to a safer date or the option to avail of a refund should they be unable to reschedule the event,” a spokesperson of the team told the Inquirer via Zoom on Monday.

ONEdurance has 14 registered participants who have been locked out of training facilities, making the new race date, Oct. 25, nonviable.

Participants have signed a nonrefund waiver on registration, but all the protesting groups have said the pandemic has forced them into a unique situation.

Apart from the economic fallout caused by the health crisis and the quarantine periods needed for those who have to travel to the country, there is also the lack of preparation for the race.

“[The organizers] know that proper training takes at least 20 weeks,” ONEdurance’s spokesperson said, with the race now just 19 weeks away.“The swim part of the race is the hardest and the most demanding part of it all,” the group said. “And pools and beaches here remain closed.”

Galura said organizers were working out a proposal that would sit well with all parties involved. INQ