Host Puerto Princesa City and Ironman Philippines are bracing for what could be the biggest Ironman 70.3 in terms of participation in the Asian region.
Slated for Nov. 13 in the capital of paradise island of Palawan, the Ironman 70.3 is expected to fetch more than 1,400 participants from around the world.
“Everybody worldwide is excited to compete after two years (of Covid-19 pandemic). Today, Ironman 70.3 in Palawan is launched globally so we expect a lot of people to come to visit and participate” said Princess Galura of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc., during a press conference at the Mayor’s Office in Puerto Princesa on Monday.
Galura said they will open 1,600 slots for the event that if fully filled up would surpass previous Ironman editions in Asia.
“We’re very excited about the event. It’s a big thing for Puerto Princesa. We should be all ready for this, this is a big opportunity to pass up,” said Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Bayron, who asked the help of everybody in his City to successfully host the event that he said will provide “economic benefits” for the city of Puerto Princesa and other sites of Palawan.
“Mamuhunan tayo dito, lagyan nating ng oras ito. ‘Pag naging successful ito, magdadala ito ng maraming economic benefits. Thank you for choosing Puerto Princesa,” said Bayron, adding that one of the plans is to gather all restaurant operators in the city to put up a subdivided food offerings from European, American to Asian cuisine.
Registration starts tomorrow (March 30). For details, visit www.ironman.com/im703-puerto-princesa, [email protected], or www.ironman.com for brand and global event series.
“We are excited to grow our portfolio of races in Asia. We are always on the lookout to create new race experiences that allow our athletes to compete in unique destinations while pursuing their best performance,” said Jeff Edwards, managing director of Asia for the IRONMAN Group. “We look forward to welcoming people from around the world to compete in IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa triathlon and enjoy what the city has to offer.”
Puerto Princesa is offering the best of both city and nature. Home to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, one the “new” seven wonders of nature and a UNESCO World Heritage site that contains a full “mountain-to-sea” ecosystem, the highly urbanized city also sits beside one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, making it a premier tourist and ecological destination – and a great place for triathlon racing.
Triathletes can also look forward to racing in one of the Philippines’ greenest cities while taking in the views of the bay and even spot long-nosed dolphins, turtles, and rays. Puerto Princesa also boasts of a number of beach resorts and seafood restaurants to please both athletes and supporters.