Ironkids a Prelude to Ironman

When the Alaska Ironkids program made its debut as the preliminary event the day before the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 in Camarines Sur last year, the most enthusiastic cheerleaders were the foreign pros who saw in the budding triathletes the promise of the future.

The Elite athletes trooped to the finish line and encouraged the kids to make the final push in completing the course.  “They happily volunteered to welcome the finishers,” recalled Princess Galura, General Manager of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc.  “The pros handed out the medals and congratulated the kids.  It wasn’t the winning that was important, it was the sense of accomplishment in crossing the finish line.  What the pros feel when they compete is also what the kids feel when they’re on the course.  It’s a wonderful experience and we’re doing a second Ironkids this year.”

From a cast of 62, the field has grown to over 100 and Galura said it’s an inspiring development. Among the entries last year were Benjamin, Hannah, Donato and Ella, children of celebrity parents Anthony and Maricel Pangilinan; Tara and Samantha, daughters of body-building champions Ringo and Caroline Borlain and Blade, son of ABS-CBN’s Ernie Lopez.  A cancer survivor was also a participant in a heart-warming display of courage.

Sunrise Events, Inc. President and Alaska Milk Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr.’s commitment to the Ironkids program is as strong as his commitment to the Ironman 70.3.  “We’ll continue to offer Ironkids as one of the milestone events in the Philippines every year,” said Uytengsu.  “Eventually, I’d like to see at least 250 kids participating.  I realize some parents may think the course is too challenging but we’ve made adjustments to make the event a fun competition.”

The participants are split into four age groups----6-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.  The 6-8 and 9-10 age groupers compete in a 100-meter swim, three-kilometer bike race and one-kilometer run.  The 11-12 and 13-14 age groupers battle in the 300-meter swim, 10-kilometer bike race and two-kilometer run.

Saturday’s Alaska Ironkids is the fifth of a six-leg program this year.  Two runs and two aquathlons were held earlier.  Over 200 kids signed up for each run, making it the most popular sub-event of the triathlon.

“It’s very gratifying to see the kids respond positively to this effort,” said Galura.  “They’re out to have fun and get fit.  Kids of all sizes and shapes show up but nobody cares if you’re skinny, chubby or awkward.  The goal is to try to finish and it’s a lesson in discipline and conviction.  Some kids come fully outfitted like they’re career athletes.  It’s a really great atmosphere.”

The man in charge of supervising the Ironkids and Ironman competitions is Sunrise Director of Operations, Guy Concepcion, and a 1988 Olympic swimmer who struck gold in the 200-meter individual medley at the 1987 Southeast Asian Games.  Concepcion, 42, hauled in a total of one gold, five silvers and four bronzes in three SEA Games.  He joined his brother Lee, Akiko Thomson and Eric Buhain on the Philippine swimming contingent at the Seoul Olympics.

Concepcion, a Marketing professor at De La Salle University, is no stranger to overseeing competitions.  He ran the UAAP swimming competitions for eight years and organized a pair of open-sea races in Nasugbu and Anilao in 2009.  Concepcion participated in the first two Ironman events in Camarines Sur and last year, was invited by Uytengsu to make the leap from competitor to Director.

“I’ve never really had much success in triathlon,” said Concepcion, a swimming Hall of Famer at Serra High School in San Mateo, California, where Tim Brady, Bobby Bonds and Lynn Swann also studied.  “I’d be the best in swimming but I always faltered in biking.  By the time I got to running, I was wasted.  After every competition, I would tell myself to train harder next time.  Now that I’m the Race Director, I’m doing what I should’ve done as a participant----I’m working very hard in preparing for the event.  I’m putting in time; I’m giving special attention to details.  I know a lot is at stake in staging a successful event because this has a world-wide audience.”

Concepcion said his experience in last year’s Ironman has opened his eyes to introducing changes.  “Before, we did two loops of 10.5 kilometers each in the run and I hated going through it,” he said.  “So this time, we mapped out a friendlier route which is a 21-kilometer distance without doubling back.  Before, when you leave your bike in transition to run, it’s the last time the spectators see you.  Now, on the way to the finish line, the crowd can follow you.  The nine-kilometer ‘rice cooker’ run will be tough.  I expect the temperature to be higher by at least 10 degrees in that stretch and that’s why we’ve got aid stations every kilometer.  That will be a memorable route because of the scenery.”

Concepcion said the heat is unforgiving as noon approaches and in last year’s run, some participants lost the soles of their sneakers due to the intense heat on the road.

“It will take anywhere between four to six hours to finish the route and by the time, you’re close to the finish line, you’ll want to take your socks off but the danger is you’ll burn your feet.  They’re calling the Ironman event a hot, hot, hot event because first, of our warm welcome and hospitality, second, the hot sili of Bicol and third, the hot sun.  That’s not even mentioning the hot competition we expect in the race for 30 tickets to the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and 25 tickets to the half Ironman World Championships 70.3 in Las Vegas.”

Galura said since its inception two years ago, Sunrise Events Inc. has organized a slew of highly successful events----two Ironman competitions, three XTerra races, 10 Ironkids platforms and a family run for Alaska Milk Corp. “At Sunrise Events Inc., we do a lot of cooking,” she said. “We put together events that Mr. Uytengsu envisions.  He’s our Yoda, the Jedi Master in Star Wars.  Mr. Uytengsu provides the vision, knowledge and the direction of how to get things done.  He’s not satisfied with ‘pwede na.’  He demands you to work better than best, the bestest all the time.  Because Mr. Uytengsu is himself into the sport, he’s a fine example to all athletes.  He brings integrity to the sport because of the respect that he enjoys from everyone.”

Concepcion said no doubt, triathlon has grown in the Philippines and in the world.  “The numbers indicate it, We’re surprised how fast it’s growing.  Swimmers are learning how to bike and enjoying running.  Bikers are learning how to swim competitively and runners are now into swimming and biking.  I’m excited about this weekend’s Ironkids because it’s the breeding grounds for potential triathlon champions.  And I’m also very excited about the competition in Ironman because it’s a chance of a lifetime for triathletes to earn tickets to the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and the half Ironman World Championships 70.3 in Las Vegas.”