Filipino bets led by Mervin Santiago and Jethro Ramos will try to gift the country a first title in the Century Tuna full Ironman event set to be flagged off on Sunday in Subic Bay as a total of 202 entries will carry the fight for a Philippine contingent trying to end foreign rule.
Fourth last year, Santiago and Ramos, the Penong’s 5150 winner in Davao, are the fancied home bets in the 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-km bike and 42-km run race that has seen two foreigners triumph in its first two editions.
Spicing up the chase for top honors are slots staked to the Ironman world championships, one in France in September and another in the Kona, Hawaii, edition in October.
Nick Baldwin of Seychelle won the inaugural event in 2018 before the Czech Republic’s Petr Lukosz prevailed over Thomas Nteliopolous of Greece and Filipino Luigi Robles when the event was revived last year after the pandemic.
Subic Bay remains to be one of the top triathlon spots in the country, and this year’s edition will be different with a 70.3 event also to be held as a total of close to 1,000 triathletes will be taking part, counting those campaigning in the relay.
Ines Santiago, the wife of Mervin, has begged off from joining the full Ironman after sealing a world championship berth with a win in Cebu, leaving Evangeline Endaya as the top local hope in the division. Ines Santiago will be taking part in the 70.3, though.
Fifty-six teams will see action in the 70.3 relay.