All eyes will be on John Dedeus Alcala and August Benedicto as the IRONMAN Philippines and the IM 70.3 Subic Bay unwraps on Sunday at the Subic Bay Boardwalk.

Alcala, who has triumphed in top half-triathlon races in Palawan and Subic over the past two years, leads a determined group of Filipino athletes against a formidable lineup of international competitors in the fourth staging of the full-distance IRONMAN.

The race encompasses a 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-km bike ride, and 42.2-km run on a world-class championship course.

The weather forecast of cloudy skies with thundershowers both in the morning and afternoon adds an extra layer of difficulty for the hundreds of racers vying not only for top honors but also for slots in the World Championships.

Despite the challenging conditions, the water is expected to remain flat and calm during the swim leg, offering competitors an opportunity to gain momentum before tackling the grueling bike and run stages.

Among the notable competitors is Benedicto, who aims to deliver a strong performance in the 11th edition of the IM 70.3 race, which includes a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21.1km run.

Benedicto, a native of Tarlac now based in Ireland, seeks to replicate his 2022 victory in Cebu despite facing stiff competition from international athletes.

“I’m thrilled to compete here, even though I’m now based in Ireland,” Benedicto said. He also expressed his gratitude to the IRONMAN organizers for hosting such a well-organized race.

Both Alcala and Benedicto have been rigorously training and are determined to excel in their respective events, which test endurance, strength and strategy. Their participation is highly anticipated, with fans and fellow competitors eager to see how they perform against a strong field of international contenders.

Representing 54 countries, the participants in both the full IRONMAN and IM 70.3 highlight the events’ global appeal, with Subic Bay reaffirming its status as the Philippines’ triathlon hub due to its top-tier course and exceptional hosting by The IRONMAN Group.

The IRONMAN and IM 70.3 age group rolling starts kick off at 5:45 a.m., with the swim cutoff time set at 70 minutes from the last athlete’s start. The bike and run stages have cutoff times of five hours and 30 minutes and eight hours and 30 minutes, respectively.