The Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Aquathlon kicks off a weekend of triathlon at Subic Bay when it’s held at the WOW Recreation and Activity Center in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 6 a.m., June 1 a day ahead of the 2019 Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay Pilipinas Presented by Big Boss Cement.
The race is more than just competition according to Alaska Milk Corporation Associate Brand Manager Diane Guerta. It is meant to teach children the value of exercise and proper nutrition.
“Its main goal is to really encourage young children to have an active lifestyle. Alaska is already there for nutrition but IRONKIDS and the Power Camps are there to teach kids that being active is important. These programs do not just teach the kids fundamental skills of the sport but it teaches good values as well. Alaska Sports aim to have a holistic approach in kids’ development,” said Guerta.
The Alaska IRONKIDS, formerly a swim-bike-run event, is one of the highlights of each IRONMAN competition. Sunrise Events dropped the bike leg from the usual 400m swim, 9km bike and 3km run to make the race more accessible.
“We are expecting more than 300 kids this year. We’re really excited to see that more kids are really getting into triathlon. We are looking forward to younger kids getting into aquathlon or even triathlon. We wanted the parents or kids to not get intimidated with the sport since triathlon can sometimes be too intense for other parents,” said Guerta.
The Alaska IRONKIDS held before the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 in Davao City and the Alaska IRONKIDS at Vermosa, Cavite were also aquathlons. The Alaska IRONKIDS to be held before the Regent Aguila IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines in Cebu will be a triathlon.
Following the IRONKIDS race will be the Sun Life Bike Out at 9 a.m. as well as the opening of the IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay Expo at 9 a.m. The media conference Meet the Pros follows at 3 p.m. and the Belinda Granger race tips at 4 p.m.
Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay presented by Big Boss Cement will be held the following day Sunday. Former IRONMAN 70.3 world champion Tim Reed, multi-titled Sam Betten and 2018 IRONMAN Subic champion Nick Seychelles will lead all comers in the chase for the coveted title.
Other sponsors are presenting sponsor Big Boss Cement, venue host Subic Bay, bike leg racing partner NLEX SCTEX, Black Arrow (official courier and logistics partner) Hoka (official footwear), Gatorade, TYR, Gu, Lightwater, David’s Salon, Prudential Guarantee, ONE Cignal, the Philippine Star, Trilife, AsiaTri.com, Finisher Pix and Active.
For details, visit www.ironman703subicbay.com or the Facebook page Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay and @im703subicbay on Instagram and Twitter. Official event hashtags are #CenturyTunaIM703 #im703subicbay.