Dapitan’s rising triathlon star: Zach Agolong relishes strong finish in first Ironman 70.3 race

CEBU, Philippines — Dapitan City’s most promising triathlete Joseph Zachary Agolong felt proud and happy for having completed his first Ironman 70.3 race.

And he did it in style.

Agolong battled through tough conditions to come up with a remarkable performance in the  Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu at the Mactan Newtown two weeks ago.

The pride of the famed “Shrine City of the Philippines” finished the premier endurance race that covers 1.9km swim, 90km bike, and 21k run with a modest time of five hours and 47 minutes or an average of six minutes and 21 seconds per kilometer.

That catapulted the 18-year-old mainstay of Tri SND Barracuda to a strong fourth-place finish out of 25 contenders in the male 18-24 age group, 108th out of 721 competitors in the male  category, and 145th overall out of 992 participants.

“I am proud of myself. First time ko niapil and dili ko makatoo nga I’ve finished strong and got the fourth place in my age category,” said Agolong while reflecting on his recent success.

“It was a crazy challenge for me because I was used to race only in both the Olympic and Sprint distances. The Ironman 70.3 race is a lot different than the two. I just trained hard and ask guidance and strength from the Almighty God. And I am very thankful for the people behind my career, without them I wouldn’t be racing,” added Agolong, who aspires to become a pro triathlete someday.

There’s practically no rest for the son of Dapitan Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agolong as he now plunges back into hard training preparatory of another tedious task ahead that is to carry the banner of his beloved hometown in the second edition of Dapitan Ironman 70.3 this September. — (FREEMAN)