Why is Philippine Ironman called 70.3?

THE Ironman is a long-distance triathlon race being promoted and licensed by the World Triathlon Corporation.

The race starts out with a 2.4 mile swim, then transitions into a 112 mile bike and ends with a 26.2 mile run or a total of 140.6 miles.

The Ironman 70.3, which is being held in the Philippines – first in Camarines Sur, and starting this year, in Cebu – is also known as the Half Ironman, one of a series of middle-distance triathlon races also of the WTC.

As its name suggests, athletes negotiate half the distance of all three segments of the Ironman Triathlon.

In the Philippines, the main commercial sponsor, Cobra Energy Drink, gets to append its brand before the name of the event.

How it began

The Ironman was thought of by U.S. Navy Commander John Collins to resolve a lively debate in the 1970s in Hawaii among members of the Mid-Pacific Road Runners and the Waikiki Swim Club.

They wanted to settle the question of who is more fit — runners or swimmers.

Collins was posted in Hawaii where he lived with his wife. Back in his home state of California, the couple had joined in several triathlons in 1974 and 1975.

The officer thought of combining the three toughest endurance races of the island into one race.

He suggested to settle the debate with a race that would combined the 2.4 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the 115 mile Around-Oahu Bike Race and the 26.219 miles Honolulu Marathon.

“The gun will go off about 7 a.m., the clock will keep running and whoever finishes first we’ll call the Ironman,” he said.