"From usually having it in March, it will be scheduled in August instead because the water is calmer during that month," said Princess Galura, president and general manager of Sunrise Events Inc., a subsidiary of the IRONMAN Group.
The change in date was motivated by input from this year's participants, who reported rough waters during the previous event.
"We don't want what happened in the last race to happen again. The water situation during August is better, so that would be a good choice. And since Alveo is no longer conducive due to constructions, we will showcase Davao City's new coastal road," she said during a Facebook Messenger call interview with SunStar Davao early Thursday evening, October 19.
On March 26, 2023, a Dabawenyo coach died from a heart attack during the swimming phase of the Alveo Ironman 70.3 Davao. As a result, organizers have prioritized participant safety in future tournaments.
Galura anticipates the rise of new stars in the 2024 race, in addition to the change in scheduling and site.
"May bagong set of triathletes, mga bagong stars, ang babata. Mga professionals, ang bibilis na (There is a new set of triathletes, younger and faster professionals). This has become a worldwide phenomenon. Things are changing, science is getting better, and so is nutrition. Nag-iba na kasi yung mga dating nagco-compete, may ibang na,
Galura expressed gratitude to Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte for his ongoing support in staging Ironman 70.3 Davao. "We're very lucky kasi gusto nya rin talagang mangyari ito. Mayor Baste, walang urungan, may sakuna or askidente, tulungan talaga tayo (We're very lucky because he really wants this to happen. Mayor Baste is committed, no matter what challenges or accidents we face, he's always there to support us)," she went on to say.
Registration is still open, with tier 1 already sold out and with a few seats left for tier 2.
Galura noted that they are adhering to a global pricing plan that offers lower registration fees to individuals who join up early.
"The earlier you register, the lower the price you will pay. We'll have tier 1 to 5 para masanay ang mga participants na mag-register ng maaga (The earlier you register, the lower the price you will pay. We'll have tier 1 to 5 to encourage participants to register early)," she went on to say.
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