OVER 1,400 youngsters take the spotlight today in the first swim-bike-run race for the future of Philippine triathlon this year as the Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS fires off at the Shangri-La’s Mactan beach in Lapu Lapu City, Cebu.
The country’s version of junior IRONMAN will feature three categories – race, play and relay with kids aged six to 14 years clashing for top honors in four divisions, both for boys and girls.
The IronKids is one of the activities under the Alaska Sports Development program which aside from providing the young participants experience their own version of an Ironman race, also serves as a way for parents to see the benefits of letting their children lead an active lifestyle and lure them away from getting addicted to gadgets.
Meanwhile, organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. general manager Princess Galura said the second Regent Aguila IRONMAN 70.3 powered by Philam Vitality will push through as scheduled tomorrow (Sunday) even as she guaranteed the safety of all the participants given the weather condition spawned by enhanced monsoon rains due to storm.
“We’re prepared with any eventuality and we will look at protecting the participants with utmost care,” said Galura. “Based on the forecast we received, it will be sunny in the morning and rainy in the evening this weekend. Nothing out of the ordinary except a hot day with strong headwinds. Though rainy on Saturday (today), expect rains to stop Sunday and expect a hot race.
The IRONMAN weekend kicked off yesterday with the Alaska Family Run and the Herbalife IronGirl, a five-kilometer fun run with the main event all set for tomorrow.
Now on its eighth year, the Regent Aguila IRONMAN 70.3, which was awarded as the Best Spectator Race in the world at the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii last year, will feature some of the sport’s leading figures, headed by defending champion and crowd favorite Mauricio Mendez of Mexico.
The 23-year-old Mendez, who won the Davao and Cebu races last year, is out to bounce back from a heartbreaking race in Davao last March which he failed to finish due to bike woes.
