Biggest-ever Ironman set to unfold

It’s all systems go for the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 race and the Alaska Milk Ironkids Triathlon at the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili on August 13-14, 2011 as more than 1,100 competitors, 11 professional athletes and 99 relay teams are expected to brave the elements in the biggest edition of the event since its inception in 2009.

Aside from the large turnout, what makes this year’s gathering even more special is it will feature a lot of innovations.  Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr., President of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. and Alaska Milk Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer said a big treat is in store for everyone.

“The most exciting development is we’ve been allotted 30 slots for the top finishers in the different age groups to compete at the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii,” said Uytengsu.  “That’s like a dream for all triathletes.  Competing in the full Ironman is the ultimate.  I call it pennies from heaven because we never expected it and the allocation wouldn’t have been made if China didn’t cancel its Ironman competition.  This is a chance of a lifetime.  When news spread that we were allocated 30 slots, we were deluged by entries.  We were also given 25 slots for the half Ironman in Las Vegas.”

The World Triathlon Corp., now known as the World Endurance Sports Group (WESG) after its purchase by a private equity fund, had allocated 100 slots for China’s top performers in Kona on October 8, 2011.  With China’s withdrawal, WESG decided to farm out the tickets to Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines.  Then, there’s also the opportunity for the CamSur entries to vie for 25 slots at the Ironman 70.3 in Las Vegas on September 11, 2011.

It was Uytengsu who negotiated to acquire the Ironman rights for the Philippines.  The three-year contract is expiring and Uytengsu said he hopes to sign for another three years.  WESG Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Murphy Reinschreider, is coming for the CamSur event to evaluate how Ironman has progressed in the country and what Uytengsu has in mind for the future.

“Our ability to execute the Ironman event successfully will be reviewed as well as our ability to make it grow bigger,” said Uytengsu.  “I’m hoping for a recertification for another three years.  We realize there are constraints in making the Ironman bigger such as hotel accommodations in CamSur but on the other hand, the support we get from Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte is incredible.  The WESG will assess the situation after which we’ll sit down to hopefully, work out an agreement.”

Uytengsu said there were lessons learned from the past two stagings and Sunrise has adopted measures to improve the efficiency of organizing the event.  An innovation is to start off the competition in four waves instead of just one big bang.  The pros and the Filipino elite entries go off first and five minutes later, the biggest volume of male participants in their age groups then the rest of the pack before the relays move out.

“We’ve also made adjustments in the course,” he continued.  “For instance, in the bike route, we noticed last year when some cyclists turned left, they got on the wrong side of the road. Now straight out of CWC, the cyclists will stay on the right side of the national highway.  We’ll also be biking a lot more on the main highway, making for a better handle and a safer ride.  In the run course, we’ve made the route more scenic.  Seven kilometers out, we’ll run into rice fields on either side of the semi-paved road.  It’s a nine-kilometer distance where we’ve lined up water stations every kilometer along the way and we call it the “rice cooker” because that’s where the sun really bears down on you.  It’s a challenge to keep your core temperature down so you’ll see runners putting ice in their hands or in their shorts or in their tops, whichever way works.  At the finish line, we’re installing an up-and-over ramp so there is no direct contact between runners and cyclists.”

Uytengsu, a 1981 Southeast Asian Games bronze and silver medalist in swimming, participated in the first Ironman in CamSur but sat out last year to recover from shoulder and foot injuries.  Still, Uytengsu was an active participant in last year’s event as an organizer.  His attention to detail, work ethic and high standards of performance are legendary both in the workplace and on the course.  This weekend, Uytengsu will be back in competition.

“I’ve been training since last year,” he said.  “I’ve left the responsibility of organizing the event to Sunrise General Manager, Princess Galura and Sunrise Director of Operations Guy Concepcion.  It’s in good hands.  I participated in the Cebu XTerra last March and it was a wake-up call.  I realized I needed to get in better shape.  Last June, I did a half Ironman in Victoria Island, Canada, and I timed my personal best.  So I got encouraged to keep going and I’m looking forward to competing in CamSur.”

From a marketing point of view, Uytengsu said he couldn’t be happier with the rising popularity of the Ironman brand.  “I’m very pleased with the brand reception,” he said.  “About six weeks ago, I went with seven others to test the bike route in CamSur and as we went by, the kids in the streets yelled out, ‘Go, Ironman, Go.’  In three years, I think we’ve created a solid brand identity for Ironman.  From a tourism standpoint, we’ve also succeeded because if not for our Ironman event, I don’t think we’ll get this volume of foreign arrivals.  The awareness level is extremely high and the indicators are we closed our registration two months before schedule, 28 countries will be represented and we’re experiencing a 30 percent growth from last year, double from 2009.  We’ve also got a waitlist of over 200.”

Uytengsu said he noticed that it’s only in the Philippines where the Ironman event is a big family affair.  “We see a lot of husband-and-wife teams, brothers, sisters, entire families getting together,” he went on.  “In Ironkids, the children’s parents are most likely Ironman participants.  It’s inspiring to see how the Ironman and Ironkids events are close to home.”

As for Alaska’s participation, Uytengsu said it’s the right fit.  “Alaska is synonymous with sports,” he added.  “Milk is an essential part of nutrition and you’ll notice how sports and physical fitness are always projected in our ads.  We do our power camps, we enjoy a good relationship with the NBA and of course, we’ve got our PBA team.  The Ironman is also a perfect fit for Cobra Energy Drink and we appreciate its continuing sponsorship of the event.”