TRIATHLON EVENT. Triathletes are engaged in the 90-kilometer bike race during the Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa in November 2022. The city is once again gearing up to host the same event on Nov. 12, 2023. (File photo by Izza Reynoso)
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – The city government here is preparing to host a series of athletic competitions in a bid to turn this place into a hub for international sporting events, on top of its fame as a tourist destination.
Puerto Princesa sports director Rocky Austria said on Wednesday that they are gearing up for the second edition of Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa triathlon event on Nov. 12, with high hopes of surpassing the achievements of last year's debut race.
He said that despite the activities related to the ongoing World Table Tennis Youth Contender Championships, his office is simultaneously readying for the long-distance triathlon race.
Austria said the main Ironman event will test the limits of participants’ endurance with a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike and a 21.1-kilometer run.
The other events are the inaugural Asia TriClub and Relay Championship; the Princesa Run – a 5K fun run scheduled on Nov. 10; and Ironkids Philippines for young triathletes aged six to 15 on Nov. 11.
“We added the Ironkids challenge this year so we expect to become very busy in the days leading up to the event. We will really do our best to surpass last year’s event,” Austria said in Filipino.
The Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa will be the 10th race in the 2023 Global Ironman TriClub Championship Series. Athletes of all levels are invited to come together to compete in the Asia TriClub Championship while also building a sense of community and togetherness.
Last year, Dipolog City's John Alcala and Singaporean Ling Er Choo were the first 70.3 Puerto Princesa champions.
They are ready to defend their crowns against a strong international field.
“We are in constant communication with the Ironman event’s organizers… but they seem to realize that we are capable of putting the event together… we have done this before. They (organizers) are already sending the equipment needed for the events… and inspections have been done ahead of the challenge,” Austria said.
He said the results of ocular inspections by organizers were satisfactory, except for some engineering works such as the repair of the swimming pool at the sports complex for the Ironkids.
Austria also said they are also conducting regular water testing at the city bay to ensure it will be safe for the triathletes' swim leg.
It can be recalled that in 2022, competitors raced to take the top prize of PHP500,000 (around US$8,800) amidst the picturesque surroundings of this city. (PNA)
