Manila—Lapu-Lapu City promised to roll out the red carpet for the 4,000 expected participants and guests of the 2012 Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines which will start and end at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa on Aug. 5.
Of the 4,000, some 1,700 foreign bets from 31 countries will be competing in the race which will cover 1.9 kilometers of swimming, 90 kilometers of biking and 21 kilometers of running.
The race will feature the professional, Filipino elite and the age-group categories.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza announced during yesterday’s event launch at the Makati Shangri-La that the city will host a street party on the night of Aug. 5 to celebrate the success of the event.
Radaza said that a portion of a major road near the city hall will be closed for the planned party wherein several stages will be put up with live bands playing.
“We will have a repeat of our Rampada, a Rio-inspired street dancing held every April. We have done it last year and this year. We named it Kadaugan Street Party in celebration of Lapu-Lapu’s victory over Magellan,” said Radaza.
During the race itself, the city will station several vintas which will carry cheerers with drums along the Hilutungan Channel to cheer on the swimmers.
Wilfred Uytengsu, president of the Sunrise Events, Inc. which organizes the race, said this will serve as the race’s community involvement, a part of the event which participants have appreciated in previous stagings of the Cobra Ironman.
Uytengsu said that he will not miss competing in the event because of the several “firsts” that it features foremost of which is it being held in Cebu.
CEBU IS READY
In its previous three editions, Camarines Sur had hosted the race while Cebu Province will host the event for the next three years starting this year. The event has gathered the world’s top triathletes such as Pete Jacobs, David Dellow, Terrenzo Bozzone, Belinda Granger, Amanda Stevens, Ali Fitch, among others.
Gov. Gwen Garcia assured that Cebu is very much prepared to host such a prestigious event. She said that she had been holding weekly meetings with the involved local government units. Aside from Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City and Talisay City will also have a part in the event as the bike course will cover these areas.
This is also the first time that the swim event of the Cobra Ironman will be held in an ocean—the waters off Shangri-La Mactan. Uytengsu said that for him, this is the biggest improvement of the race.
For the first time also since its staging, the race gathered the most number of participants, which relates to an increase of 50 percent from last year.
When the race opened its registration online early this year, it sold out in 40 days with 350 in the waiting list.
This will also be the first time that the Cobra Ironman will be ushered in by the Ironkids which has gathered 150 local participants.
World-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue will also be designing the trophies and medals for the event as well as for the next stagings of the race.