PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — James Van Ramoga and Sofia Adriana Calvo delivered electrifying performances in the Sunrise Sprint race on Sunday here, staging remarkable come-from-behind victories to claim top honors in the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively.

Van Ramoga overcame a slow start in the 750m open-water swim, emerging in sixth place but unleashing a blistering 33 minutes and 19 seconds in the bike leg (20km) to surge ahead.

He then held off a charging John Paul Daquioag in the closing 5km run, securing the men’s overall title with a total time of 01:17:37. His swim and run splits were 00:16:45 and 00:22:43.

Daquioag, despite a strong 00:20:07 run finish, settled for second place at 01:17:46 after falling behind in the 20km bike leg (00:36:38).

Mejares Naune Elison, who came out of the water with an impressive 00:15:20 swim, struggled in the bike (00:38:54) and run (00:22:10) but held on for third at 01:21:07.

On the women’s side, Calvo faced an even greater challenge, trailing by five minutes after a 00:20:49 swim. She roared back with a dominant 00:44:13 bike split and sealed victory with a 00:28:07 run, crossing the finish line at 01:39:17.

Poupelain posted a commanding performance in the men’s race, clocking 04:24:19 to clinch the overall championship.

Lucienne Aragones had positioned herself for the win with a swift 00:15:47 swim, maintaining the lead despite a 00:48:49 bike leg. However, she faded in the run (00:34:26), ultimately conceding victory to Calvo by five minutes, finishing in 01:44:15.

Princess Kedtag secured third in 01:52:17 (00:24:24 swim, 00:47:21 bike, 00:30:57 run), edging out Thai Mariette Scoop (01:55:37) for the final podium spot.

The event, organized by Sunrise Events, Philippines, provided an exhilarating test for aspiring triathletes and seasoned racers alike, proving that resilience and strategy are just as crucial as raw speed in multisport racing.

Van Ramoga and Calvo shared the spotlight with France’s Bastien Poupelain and Poland’s Agnieszka Najnigier-Pierzynowska as they emerged victorious in their respective divisions in the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa, held under scorching conditions.

Poupelain posted a commanding performance in the men’s race, clocking 04:24:19 to clinch the overall championship. He edged out Japan’s Hidekazu Takahashi, who finished second in 04:26:26, and Czech triathlete Petr Lukosz, who rounded out the podium at 04:34:45.

JS Teves, the top Filipino finisher, placed fourth overall with a 04:36:44 effort, earning a P50,000 cash prize from the Princesa Garden Hotel for his achievement in the season’s opening race.

In the women’s division, Najnigier-Pierzynowska dominated with a time of 05:33:32, securing the overall title ahead of Great Britain’s Emma Rickard (05:40:49) and Hong Kong’s Nicole Chau (05:46:43).

Filipina triathlete Mary Pauline Fornea put up a strong fight, finishing fifth in 05:49:19 — just behind China’s Jiang Xueuyan (05:49:12). Fornea, however, still took home P50,000 as the top Filipino female finisher.

Team Tandika Tri, representing Puerto Princesa City, took home P200,000 for having the largest contingent in the TriClub competition with 42 members, courtesy of the Princesa Garden Hotel.