Resolution reached in Ironman controversy

The Subic race of Ironman Philippines will be held in 2021, when it will be safe to gather participants without a need for social distancing. —TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.NET

Several partici­pants who sought changes in the resche­duled Ironman Philippines race this year got some measure of victory on Friday, when the Subic race was moved to 2021.

“[The] triathlon [race], which had been postponed to Oct. 25, can no longer take place in 2020, and will return on June 6, 2021,” the brand said on its Facebook page.

Ironman said that health and safety of the triathlon community remain its utmost priority and the decision to move the race to a later date was vastly influenced by its “alignment” with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority in relation to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision should appease some participants who were seeking a refund of registration fees or the further rescheduling of the postponed race to deal with the fallout of the pandemic.

The Inquirer reported in a series of articles that over 300 participants from different multisports groups clamored for a refund that would greatly help those financially impacted by the health crisis and/or a further postponement of the race to a safer date to avoid potential travel adjustments due to quarantine protocols.

Sunrise Events, which holds the Ironman races here, said a refund wasn’t allowed based on the race’s global rules but assured participants it was looking for ways to hold the event safely. That, according to Sunrise Events, included further postponing the race if needed.

“The dream of being an Ironman at home is still alive,” said a spokesperson of ONEdurance, one of the groups that reached out to the Inquirer.

“It would’ve been better if there was an option for refund, but we understand that it’s still a business and a lot of lessons have been learned from this ordeal,” ONEdurance, whose members are based in Abu Dhabi, told the Inquirer on Friday.

The Inquirer also obtained a copy of an email exclusive to race participants, indicating that racers have other transfer options to two other races.