The highly anticipated IRONMAN® 70.3® Davao will take place on Sunday 11 August 2024, with the full backing of the local government of Davao City, new partners AboitizPower and Ion+ Advanced Electrolyte Drink, and with the continuing partnership with RLC Residences for IRONKIDS ®Davao and 2GO for Gwapa Dabawenya.
The 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Davao will feature a brand-new course with the introduction of the new Davao City Coastal Road, setting a new challenge for athletes as they swim 1.9km parallel to the coast, cycle 90km towards the Macarthur Highway and back to the coastal road for the 21.1km-run to the finish line.
The City of Davao, which was recently awarded as the second safest city in Southeast Asia in the Numbeo Southeast Asia: Safety Index for 2023, will host the IRONMAN 70.3 event for the fourth year.
Since 2018, IRONMAN 70.3 Davao has been a race that is well-supported by the local community. From cultural shows and festivities to the toughest team competition, Davao City has been flanked by athletes from all over the Philippines and the world.
This year with the support of AboitizPower as presenting sponsor, the premier global event is made more accessible by Filipinos of a wider demographic. AboitizPower is an energy solutions company that provides reliable, affordable and dependable power across the country. The company is a champion for sustainability initiatives and ventures that help make a difference in the lives of Filipinos, which has now extended, not only to every home’s basic needs but towardsthe quality of life of the community through the positive impact of sports and a healthy lifestyle.
The official inclusion of Ion+ Advanced Electrolyte Drink in the IRONMAN Group Philippine events this year will also prove to be beneficial to athletes participating in the upcoming events. Ikigai Nutri Sciences. Inc., distributor of ION+ in the Philippines, will be providing the hydration for athletes - with a balance of sodium, glucose, and other electrolytes (including magnesium, potassium, and zinc) that will ensure athletes will achieve their goals.
With preparations for the events in full gear, the Tribu Maisugon will set the tone to up the ante in competition. Teams will sign up to be part of their ‘tribu’ and, with a minimum of 11 individuals registered to participate in the IRONMAN 70.3 Davao race, will contribute to a points pool based on their official Age Group Points. The team with the highest cumulative points of the 11 individuals will win for their team Php500,000 from the City of Davao.
To add more camaraderie and a sense of community at the Davao race, the Team Tents Competition will be introduced once again, similar to that of the IRONMAN Philippines in Subic Bay. Volunteer teams will be allocated a tent space as support stations, where they will provide refreshments, manpower and an all-out cheering squad for the runners in the course at Davao. Special awards will be given according to the teams’ overall booth design & appearance, athlete support and availability, cleanliness, and creativity & compliance.
With competition heating up, IRONMAN 70.3 Davao powered by Aboitiz will have invitational slots for the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France, as well as the 45 age-group slots to the 2025 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain.
RLC IRONKIDS Run-Bike-Run and IRONKIDS Run
This year, two of the IRONKIDS events have been backed by RLC Residences – in April at Lapu-Lapu, and now in August at Davao. The company extends its support to budding young athletes as RLC Residences has in its core values the belief in the importance of supporting the community it serves. With the Title Sponsorship to the IRONKIDS in Davao, RLC Residences continues to promote an active and purposeful lifestyle at a young age in the hopes of creating more vibrant opportunities for future Filipino athletes. The IRONKIDS in Davao will be a duathlon event – Run-Bike-Run for young athletes aged 6-15 years old. A special IRONKIDS Run is also made available for kids from 6-10 years old (1km run course) and 11-15 years old (3km run course). The IRONKIDS events will be held on Saturday of the event week, 10 August 2024.
2GO Gwapa Dabawenya Run
With an impressive 2,000 slots filled in just three days, the Gwapa Dabawenya Run Event is poised to be a sight to remember. Now with 2GO’s support in full form, the 2GO Gwapa Dabawenya will aim to further the empowering spirit for runners from different walks of life. 2GO understands the impact of an active lifestyle and is committed to fostering this through its continuous support of sports initiatives. The 5km fun run will be on Friday of the event week.
IRONMAN 70.3 Davao powered by Aboitiz is backed by Global Premier Partners, VinFast, Active, HOKA, ROKA, and Breitling; with Global Technical Partners Athletic Brewing Co., FulGaz, Hyperice, Qatar Airways, Santini, AG1, Wahoo; Asia Supplier Partners, Always Advancing, Compressport, Ekoi and Nirvana; and Media Partners, Outside+ and Sportograf.
General entries to the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Davao powered by Aboitiz RLC IRONKIDS Davao is still open.
Atty. Tristan Dwight Domingo, Assistant City Administrator, Davao City
Princess Galura, President and General Manager, Sunrise Events, Inc.