DAVAO City — Eric van der Linden defied age and expectations, turning back clock to outperform competitors half his age in the IRONMAN 70.3 Davao championship here on Sunday.

In the women’s division, Leyann Ramo continued her winning streak by putting up another dominant performance to seize the crown.

The race, featuring a 1.9-kilometer swim, 90km bike, and 21.1km run, also highlighted the newly developed Davao City Coastal Road.

Van der Linden, the 50-year-old Olympian from Schagen, North Holland, built an early lead with a strong swim and bike performance, which proved crucial as he withstood a determined late charge from John Patrick Ciron and Franklin Yee in the run segment to clinch the overall men’s championship in four hours and 19:27 minutes.

Meanwhile, Ramo showcased her strength in all events, but shone brightly in the bike and run stages, securing the overall women’s title in 04:48:18.

Ranged against younger rivals, van der Linden proved that experience and tenacity can outshine youth, as he outpaced the field to claim victory in the premier endurance race organized by The IRONMAN Group and hosted by Davao City.

Van der Linden set the tone early, dominating the swim and bike stages of the grueling race.

His powerful start (00:27:50) created a substantial lead, giving him the cushion needed to withstand a fierce challenge from Ciron and Yee, who both mounted strong comeback in the final run stages.

Despite his Filipino rivals’ valiant effort, van der Linden’s early advantage and steady pace in the run allowed him to cross the finish line first, securing a well-earned victory.

He timed 02:19:06 in bike and closed out with 01:27:18 clocking in the run.

Ciron posted a 00:30:47 time in swim and 02:22:42 in bike but flashed his running skills to finish in 01:21:52 for a 04:19:45 clocking for second overall, while Yee, who timed 00:32:59 and 02:22:15 in the first two events, respectively, churned out the fastest clocking in run (01:20:07) to snare third place in 04:20:25.

Former full IRONMAN Philippines champion Petr Lukosz of the Czech Republic came in fourth overall in 04:24:49, while Jorry Ycong placed fifth in 04:26:08 followed by Satar Salem (04:26:10), recent Bohol 5150 winner Irienold Reig Jr. (04:26:39), M.R. Santiago (04:28:20), John Leerams Chicano (04:30:14) and A.R. Toroganan (04:31:30) in that order.

In women’s division, Ramo, from Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, showcased her rising prowess by capturing the title with relentless determination.