John Alcala. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
A total of 54 countries will be represented when more than a thousand athletes answer the starting gun on Sunday in the backbreaking Ironman Philippines and IM 70.3 events at Subic Bay Boardwalk where the host country will be fielding some of its best.
John Alcala will banner the local charge in the full Ironman, which will be over a 3.8-kilometer swim, a 180-km bike and 42.2-km run race with the most scenic spots in Subic Bay as backdrop even as August Benedicto returns to the country seeking another 70.3 win in two years.
But before that, the Ironkids race will be held on Saturday with boys and girls from six to 15 years old disputing trophies in several categories. The distances for the kids depend on the age range, with those in the 13-15 division tackling a 250-meter swim, 6-km bike and 2-km run race.
Benedicto, who now calls Germany home and comes over to participate in selected events, triumphed in the Cebu edition in 2022, ruling the 1.9-km-swim, 90-km bike and 21.1-km run race that took the athletes atop of the CCLEX bridge twice.
The centerpiece event also offers World Championship slots to the top 25 male athletes for the Kona, Hawaii, event, with the women seeing action in the 70.3 disputing 15 slots to its version of the global championship slated in Nice, France, in September.