Philippines' Leyann Ramo and China's Peng Cheng Li seal Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay glory

Chinese Peng Cheng Li and local standout Leyann Ramo delivered outstanding performances at the IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay, demonstrating remarkable speed, strength, and endurance in their victories here Sunday. 

Li maintained a commanding lead throughout the race, finishing with an impressive time of 4:20:05.  His dominant performance saw him outpace Great Britain's Christopher Weeks by a substantial margin of 10 minutes in the challenging 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride, and 21.1km run event. 

Weeks finished in 4:30:18, while August Benedicto, a local favorite, secured third place in 4:34:21. 

The IRONMAN Philippines and the IM 70.3 Subic drew over a thousand triathletes from 54 countries, underscoring the global appeal of the IRONMAN-branded events. 

The two races also offered qualifying slots for three World Championships, including the ongoing full-distance race featuring a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride, and 42.2km run. 

Li, who placed sixth in the full IRONMAN Australia last year, set a strong pace early in the swim leg with the fastest time of 28:38, establishing a two-minute lead over Weeks. Transitioning to the bike leg, the 33-year-old multi-age group winner in 70.3 races extended his lead with a time of 2:21:38. 

He capped off his performance with a powerful finishing kick during the run, completing it in 1:23:58. 

Meanwhile, Ramo showcased impressive form despite fluctuating weather conditions, including intermittent sunshine and overcast skies. 

She set the pace with a swim time of 00:30:57, maintained her lead during the bike leg with a time of 02:45:42, and concluded strongly with a run time of 01:47:06, securing the women’s overall crown with a total time of 05:07:33. 

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” said Ramo, proudly representing Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte. 

Winner of the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa last year, the 31-year-old Tri SND Barracuda spearhead expressed heartfelt gratitude to her family, teammates and province for their unwavering support in her latest triumph. 

Israel’s Hadar Shahar finished second with a time of 05:16:04, posting leg times of 00:32:38 (swim), 02:46:26 (bike), and 01:52:53 (run). 

Hong Kong’s Ruby Cheng claimed third place in 05:23:57, with respective times of 00:29:44, 02:49:23, and 01:58:32 in the swim, bike, and run segments. 

Ramo also earned the age-group title in the 30-34 division ahead of Cheng, while Shahar topped the 25-29 category, culminating a significant triathlon weekend that included the Underpants Run and the Choco Hero IRONKIDS. 

Weeks began strongly with a swim time of 00:30:26, followed by a bike time of 02:22:41, and concluded the run in 01:33:27, finishing with a total time of 04:30:18. 

Benedicto, winner of the IRONMAN 70.3 Cebu in 2022, completed the swim in 00:34:26, the bike in 02:23:48, and the run in 01:32:49, finishing at 04:34:21. 

The top three male finishers also ruled their respective age-group categories: Li claimed the 30-34 age group, Weeks secured the 35-39 trophy, and Benedicto won in the 40-44 division. 

Benedicto also narrowly edged out Thai top triathlete Jaray Jearnai in both overall and age-group standings, with Jearnai finishing in 04:37:08 with leg times of 00:30:23 (swim), 02:26:56 (bike), and 01:35:16 (run). 

Furthermore, the top 25 male triathletes from the ongoing full-distance race earned coveted spots in the Kona, Hawaii World Championship scheduled from Oct. 22-28. 

Additionally, the top 15 female athletes secured qualification for the Vinfast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France, set for Sept. 24-28. 

The IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay also offered 45 age-group qualifying slots for the Vinfast IM 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand, on Dec. 14-15, with 15 slots reserved specifically for female participants. 

In relay competitions, Go for Gold Team topped the men’s event in 04:05:20, beating Isabela Tri Club (04:10:02) and Go for Gold Team 2 (04:19:17), while Isabela Tri Club topped the mixed relay in 04:25:29, and the Isabela Tri Club Girls ruled the women’s side in 05:04:32. 

Other division winners were Kenneth Bonda (4:45:49), and A.R. Toroganan (4:40:05) in 25-29. 

The Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines and IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay is backed by Global Premier Partners Global Premier Partners Vinfast, Hoka, Roka, and Breitling; with Global Technical Partners Athletic Brewing Co., Hyperice, Maurten, Santini, AG1, wahoo, Qatar Airways, FulGaz and TriDot; with global supplier partners Always Advancing, Nirvana, Compressport and ekoi. Media Partners Outside+. Title Partner Century Tuna of Century Pacific Foods Inc., and Venue Host Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Official Hydration Partner Lightwater, Bike Leg Racing Partner NLEX & SCTEX, Official Courier & Logistics Partner 2Go. Event Partners Birch Tree, ion Advanced Electrolyte Drink, Lightwater, Sante, Teresa Marble, Sportograf, The Philippine Star, One Sports, and Cignal. (SNL)

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World’s top triathletes to compete at the Subic Bay 2024 Asia Triathlon Cup

All roads lead to this premier Freeport as the world’s top triathletes compete at the 2024 Asia Triathlon Cup in Subic Bay on May 4-5, 2024.

According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño, “Top Filipino triathletes Kim Mangrobang and Fer Casares will go up against the top triathletes of the world this coming 2024 Asia Triathlon Cup Subic Bay elite division.”

He added that six-time Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalist Mangrobang and 2023 men’s elite champion Casares will compete alongside other fellow Filipino triathletes such as Raven Alcoseba, Erika Burgos, Josh Ramos, veteran John Chicano and Kira Ellis.

“So expect an exciting weekend this May as these top Filipino athletes will compete in the Elite Men and Elite Women of the SUBIT 2024 on its 31st year here,” he added.

The official revealed that 16 countries will take part in the 2024 Asia Triathlon Cup Subic, including from Iceland, Japan, Australia, Taipei, Canada, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa and the Philippines.

Organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines and in cooperation with the SBMA, Subic Bay Freeport will be the venue for the said event. Aliño mused that Subic Bay Freeport will cheer for the Filipino athletes as they compete against the best contenders in the world. “We want them to feel that we are proud of them representing our country,” he added.

The event is presented by NTT and Asia Triathlon and is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission Asian Center for Insulation, Standard Insurance, Gatorade Philippines, Western Guaranty Corporation and Fitbar, along with hotel partners Subic Grand Harbour Hotel and Subic Travelers Hotel. (MPD/SBMA)

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Subic hosts NCAA Season 99 Beach Volleyball Tournament

Subic Bay Freeport plays host once again to the NCAA Season 99 Beach Volleyball Tournament, the host of the prestigious collegiate event since 2012.

The tournament kicked off yesterday (January 24), culminating on the 28th at the Subic Bay Sand Courts, once the battleground of the best beach volleyball players from Southeast Asia during the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 2019.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Deputy Administrator for Administration Atty. Ruel John Kabigting cited that admission is free for any beach volleyball fan who wish to root for their teams during the games. He added that the continued hosting of Subic for the NCAA Beach Volleyball Tournament is a testament of the agency’s thrust to help budding athletes become part of the national talent pool.

“Subic Freeport is incomparable to any other place in the country. The sand, sea and mountains are great venues for various sporting events such as triathlons, duathlons, epic bike races, marathons, and of course, beach volleyball,” he said.

 “We are proud and honored to be the host of the event, and I hope that Subic Freeport remains the host for this event for the centennial season next year. It is also a great honor for us to cultivate the younger generation of athletes and make Subic their second home,” he added.

The official thanked the tournament organizers for promoting Subic Bay Freeport as their preferred sports destination, citing that their continued patronage of the area shows how much they trust the agency. He added that the SBMA is complete in terms of emergency responders, as well as competent security officers that keep the event safe and secure.

Jose Rizal University is the host of the tournament with Management Committee chairman Paul Supan leading the organizing of the event. Supan said, “We have an exciting tournament ahead of us. This year, we brought back our junior division so there are now three divisions: mens, women's and junior.

He added that the reason why the organizing committee chose this Freeport is that Subic provides the appropriate atmosphere and ambience of holding the beach volleyball event. He added that one of the players to look out for is Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Louie Ramirez who is a promising talent to become part of the national team.

According to NCAA Beach Volleyball Event Chairman Peter Cayco, 12 persons represent each of the 10 schools. However, since some schools brought their staff along with them, the delegation is now at 200, yielding a full capacity for billeting  hosts Bayfront Hotel and Terrace Hotel.  This also caused a spill over to nearby hotels such as Subic Park hotel and Seorabol Grand Leisure Hotel.

“The spill over to other hotels happened since some of the players came along with their family and friends. This is certainly good for the economy since Subic Bay Freeport is a brand name in the sports tourism sector,” he added. (MPD-SBMA)

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