By Dolores C. Mose

Around 1,000 triathlon athletes from 42 countries are set to descend on Subic Bay Freeport Zone this weekend to race for Century Tuna IRONMAN Philippines 2023, IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay and IRONKIDS Philippines.

Freeport visitors and residents are advised to plan their trips as eight roads will either be partially or fully closed during the weekend.

Waterfront Road will be closed on Saturday (June 10) for the IRONKIDS Philippines.

On Sunday (June 11), Aguinaldo Street and Waterfront Road will be fully closed for the Century Tuna Ironman Philippines 2023 and IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay, while roads to be partially closed are Dewey Road, Rizal Highway (Tipo Bound), Argonaut Highway, Canal Road, Aim High Avenue and Efficiency Avenue.

Triathletes from the USA, Australia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Sweden, Myanmar, Singapore, and others will join their Filipino counterparts to race on a new bike-and-run course, described by organizers as a “faster and flatter course.”

Meanwhile, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Director Atty. Tomas Lahom III allayed fears of another weekend of heavy traffic in the free port.

“We have requested the assistance of law enforcement to ensure first the safety of athletes and [see to it] that the traffic is okay with very minimal disturbance to the locators and our visitors,” said Lahom in an interview.

“After all, dati ng ginagawa ito (this has been done in the past), so we are trying to improve the system on how traffic can be at a minimal disturbance to everybody,” he added.

The full distance IRONMAN Philippines race, set over a 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-km bike and 42-km run is considered the ultimate race for Filipino athletes.

Greg Banzon, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Century Pacific Food Inc., said he wanted the locals to have the opportunity to experience the honor and “Maging Ironman Sa Sariling Bayan (Become an IRONMAN in your own country).

“It resonates with a lot of our local community. Being an IRONMAN in your playground is a source of pride,” Banzon said. Noting the race’s festive atmosphere, he added,

“It has been a good partnership with Sunrise Events Inc., the organizer of IRONMAN events in the Philippines. They have been able to harness the spirit of the sport, which is in tandem with what Century wants to stand for, which is health and fitness.”

A total of 105 slots for the World Championship races in Nice, Kona and Lahti will be awarded at the end of the race weekend.

Fifty slots have been allotted for the race in Nice, France, while 25 slots will be rewarded for the Kona race in Hawaii. Thirty seats will also be offered for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Lahti, Finland. FREEPORT INSIDER