Ciron makes winning IRONMAN debut; Putri triumphs

SUBIC — John Patrick Ciron turned his first-ever IRONMAN 70.3 appearance into an unforgettable triumph, stunning a field of elite triathletes with a gritty and gutsy performance in the Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay here on Sunday.

More than just a win, Ciron’s victory marked a powerful statement — of unshakable focus, sheer determination and raw athletic will. A renowned duathlon specialist, the Iriga City native entered the race with questions surrounding how he would fare against seasoned triathletes on a course that demanded excellence across all three disciplines.

He answered those questions with a breakthrough performance, clocking a total time of four hours and 37:28 minutes over the grueling 1.9-kilometer swim, 90km bike and 21km run.

Ciron sealed the deal with a stunning closing run, clocking 1:28:17 in the half-marathon leg to outrun 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 Cebu champion August Benedicto, who settled for second in 4:40:58 (1:33:58 in the run). Mervin Santiago faded in the final stretch (01:36:40), finishing third with a time of 4:42:40.

“I told myself, I had to catch them in the second lap of the run, or I might lose my shot at winning,” said Ciron, recalling the pivotal moment he made his move. He clocked 30:45 in swim and posted a 02:33:21 time in bike.

Fueled by resolve, Ciron stayed locked in despite the scorching heat and high stakes.

“I didn’t even know exactly where I launched my attack — I just kept my focus. I really aimed for a fast run, but it was insanely hard,” he added.

The 2025 World Triathlon Development Regional Cup duathlon champion had previously made waves with his bike-run prowess, but his performance in Subic proved he belonged with the best even in the full 70.3 format of the event organized by Sunrise Events Inc.

His victory was all the more impressive given the formidable field and the race's punishing conditions. Presented by Century Tuna and organized by Sunrise Events Inc., the race drew nearly a thousand athletes from over 30 countries. Yet it was Ciron who emerged at the top — calm, determined and ready to rise.

Benedicto and Santiago timed 31:19 and 31:02 in swim and posted 2:30:06 and 2;29:44 clockings in bike, respectively.

On the women’s side, Indonesian Dea Salsabila Putri took the title in 5:26:22 with split times of 27:44-03:10:21-01:41:07, besting local favorite Erika Burgos, who fought through stomach issues to secure a hard-fought second place finish in another display of grit and determination. Burgos clocked 5:32:30 with leg times of 27:52-03:16:05-01:41:57.