Ironman 70.3

Today, Aug. 9, would have been the ninth edition of the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 race here in Cebu. It was in August 2012 when triathletes first dove into the white sand shores of Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and swam 1.9 kilometers, when they pedaled 90K— looping around the South Road Properties (SRP), and when they ran a half-marathon under the scorching noontime heat in Punta Engaño.

Before 7 a.m. today, the starting gun would have been fired in Mactan Island as thousands of hearts from all over the globe would have started the swimbike-run craze that’s nicknamed IM70.3.

Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr. is the man responsible for bringing the Ironman brand to the Philippines. He’s Cebuano. We know plenty of successful Cebu-based businessmen family-named Uytengsu.

Fred was born here in Cebu City. And though he was raised in Manila and studied college in America, where better to bring triathlon than a place you call home?

“It’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to stage the Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 event for obvious reasons,” Fred wrote me yesterday. “This event is world recognized and popular with many professional and age group triathletes. It also brings a lot of tourism dollars to Cebu.”

Each August for the past eight years, an estimated 10,000 people — including 2,500 triathletes — have converged in Cebu for this spectacle. Organized by Sunrise Events Inc. (SEI), the Cebu race is often recognized as one of the world’s best, twice hosting the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championships. Participants get to compete alongside pros like Pete Jacobs, Tim Reed, Mauricio Mendez, Belinda Granger and Caroline Steffen.

But 2020 was struck by Covid-19. And though Sunrise Events, through the indefatigable general manager Princess Galura, did all it could to prepare for the race, there was no stopping this ruthless virus.

“We are guided by ‘safety first’ even as Cebu is on general community quarantine,” said Fred, bowing to this unseen enemy that has disturbed all sporting events worldwide.

“We would have had to be comfortable enough with our revised safety protocols to hold an event amidst the pandemic, and this would have resulted in a drastically smaller race,” said Fred.

“So while we are all disappointed, we realize we are dealing with a much bigger issue and we all have to do our part to observe safety and help mitigate the risks of Covid-19.”

As for the sport of triathlon, Mr. Uytengsu believes that, while racing is on a hiatus, the urge to train and compete will return.

“Once the situation improves,” he said, “I believe triathletes will resume their usual training regimen and the sport of triathlon (and Ironman) will continue to flourish in the Philippines and around the world.”

“Triathlon is not a hobby. It is a lifestyle,” he said. “So many people are new to the sport and are just getting situated. I expect the pent-up demand to result in a lot of racing... hopefully in 2021.”

Fred Uytengsu added: “We hope to return to Cebu to continue this great tradition.”

(To be continued.)