Lapu-Lapu City will once again showcase its ability to host an international sporting event when the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines gets underway on Aug. 5 starting at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa.
Just like its hosting of the two Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone Group eliminations last year, which pitted the Philippines against Japan and Chinese Taipei, Lapu-Lapu will be pulling all the stops once more by fielding 12,000 people to ensure that this international race will be a success.
Two of the Ironman’s disciplines—the 1.9 kilometer swim and the 21K run—will be held in Lapu-Lapu while the route of the 90K bike, which will happen in between the swimming and running events, will cover the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Cebu and Talisay.
In the swimming discipline, Lapu-Lapu will be deploying a total of 65 vintas with six persons each to cheer on the swimmers who will be negotiating a triangular course in two loops on the waters fronting the Shangri-La.
Aside from the cheerers, a medical team will also be deployed to secure the safety of the 1,700 participants.
The team will be headed by Lapu-Lapu’s Task Force Kalikasan in coordination with the Red Cross and the Emergency Rescue Unit and Foundation.
As an added incentive to the people manning the vintas, a jelly fish catching contest will be sponsored by Lapu-Lapu.
This will also serve as Lapu-Lapu’s way of clearing the area of jelly fish because the time when the race starts at 6:30 a.m. is also the feeding time for the jelly fish in the area.
The running discipline, on the other hand, will cover five Lapu-Lapu barangays namely Punta Engano, Mactan, Ibo, Buaya and Pusok.
Around 10,000 people, mostly students and barangay residents, will line the race route and act as well wishers to give the racers encouragement.
Another 1,100 cheerers will be stationed in strategic areas of the race route in groups and will be performing cheer dances.
To make sure that they can pull this off smoothly, Lapu-Lapu will have a dry run of all the preparations on July. 27.
Information has also been dessiminated for residents in concerned areas to keep all their domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, goats, carabaos and cows in pens so as not to get in the way of the racers. The city veterinarian have also been tasked to pick up stray animals.