John Dedeus Alcala and Ines Santiago Reign Supreme at IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay
All images via https://www.facebook.com/IM703Subic
The relentless rain did little to deter the fearless triathletes who fearlessly swam, biked, and ran their way through the demanding IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay on Sunday, June 11. With unwavering resolve, they embraced the exacting challenges posed by the weather conditions.
In the male category, John Dedeus Alcala showcased his mettle, battling the strong waves and gusty winds during the bike segment. With sheer determination, he pushed himself to the limit in the final leg, completing the race in an impressive 4 hours, 43 minutes, and 45 seconds. On the other hand, Ines Santiago dominated the opening swim, effortlessly gliding through the water to secure victory in her division with a time of 5 hours, 35 minutes, and 59 seconds. The race encompassed a grueling 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-kilometer bike ride, and a challenging 21-kilometer run along the scenic Subic Bay Boardwalk.
While contenders from 33 countries vied for the coveted Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines crowns, Alcala and Santiago claimed the spotlight in the half-triathlon event, each earning a prize of $1,000. Despite the damp and chilly conditions, their unwavering spirit shone through.
Alcala’s impressive finish mirrored his triumphant performance in the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa in Palawan last November, where he conquered scorching heat to steal the show with a remarkable time of 4 hours and 32 minutes. He exhibited strategic pacing in both the swim (39 minutes and 19 seconds) and bike (2 hours and 33 minutes), before unleashing his full potential during the run leg, clocking in at an impressive 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 5 seconds.
Alcala faced stiff competition from the young and determined Irienold Reig, Jr., who surged ahead with a blazing swim time of 31 minutes and 27 seconds. Holding his ground with an impressive bike time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, Reig, Jr. couldn’t match Alcala’s remarkable finish and settled for second place with an overall time of 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 46 seconds.
The arduous swimming conditions led to the withdrawal of some participants, but Alcala and others persevered, triumphing over one of the toughest endurance tests.
August Benedicto, last year’s winner of the IRONMAN 70.3 Cebu, secured the third spot with a time of 4 hours, 48 minutes, and 28 seconds. Kenneth Bonda and Satar Salem followed closely, finishing in 4 hours, 48 minutes, and 33 seconds, and 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 33 seconds, respectively.
While Alcala unleashed a formidable surge to claim the men’s overall crown, Santiago left her competitors in her wake, starting strong with an impressive swim time of 39 minutes and 23 seconds. She maintained her momentum throughout the next stages, recording times of 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 29 seconds for the bike segment, and 1 hour, 51 minutes, and 40 seconds for the run. Santiago secured victory with a comfortable lead of nearly 18 minutes over Beverly Cariño.
Cariño completed the race in 5 hours, 53 minutes, and 34 seconds, while Mary Jane Baluyot achieved a time of 6 hours and 4 minutes for a well-deserved third place finish.
In addition to their cash prizes, courtesy of Century Pacific Food COO and EVP Greg Banzon, Alcala and Santiago, along with 28 other athletes, earned coveted berths to the Vinfast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, scheduled to take place on August 26-27 in Lahti, Finland.
Alcala and Santiago also emerged victorious in their respective age group categories, with Alcala claiming the men’s 30-34 title and Santiago securing the women’s 40-44 diadem. The event, organized by The IRONMAN Group/Sunrise Events, Inc., celebrated the outstanding achievements of age group winners such as Reig (18-24), Salem (25-29), Benedicto (35-39), Jarmo Makelainen (40-44), Miguel Lopez (45-49), Jason Edwards (50-54), Andrew Hughes (55-59), and Michael Klose (60-64).
Anne Nuñez, who finished fifth overall, triumphed in the women’s 18-24 category, completing the race in 6 hours, 18 minutes, and 5 seconds. Almira Lopez dominated the women’s 25-29 class, crossing the finish line in 6 hours, 25 minutes, and 54 seconds. Cariño secured victory in the women’s 30-34 division, while Baluyot claimed the women’s 35-39 crown. Liew Sun triumphed in the women’s 45-49 category with a time of 6 hours, 46 minutes, and 41 seconds, and Hitalia Celma reigned supreme in the women’s 55-59 group with a time of 6 hours, 24 minutes, and 37 seconds.
In the relay events, Team Century Superbod Trihard emerged victorious with an overall time of 4 hours, 58 minutes, and 18 seconds, surpassing Team Gas Coaching (5 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds) and Team Lifewave (5 hours, 9 minutes, and 34 seconds). In the all-female relay category, Team Les Meres Feroces secured victory with a time of 6 hours, 16 minutes, and 10 seconds, outperforming Team Southplus Multisport (6 hours, 25 minutes, and 9 seconds) and Team Jesfam Tri (6 hours, 34 minutes, and 36 seconds).
Meanwhile, Team Century Superbod Trihard claimed the all-male relay trophy, and The Swim Academy PH team triumphed in the mixed relay category, completing the race in 5 hours, 26 minutes, and 52 seconds. Team Davy and Team Palmera 1 Tri-Team secured second and third place with times of 5 hours, 30 minutes, and 23 seconds, and 5 hours, 41 minutes, and 47 seconds, respectively.
