Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has welcomed the recognition from the organizers of Alveo 70.3 Ironman naming Davao City as the Best Ironman Host of the triathlon event.
More than hosting, Mayor Sara said the triathlon event already held twice in Davao City contributed more to the city’s economy and boost the tourism sector.
Davao City hosted the Ironman first in 2018 and this year in March when it drew more foreign athletes from 38 countries.
The Mayor acknowledged the good things that the city received after hosting the 2nd Ironman this year when thousands of foreign and local tourists flocked to the city to join or witness one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
“The Ironman brought a lot of good things to the city. The economy boomed and our tourist arrivals also increased. Big events like this are very vital for a booming city like ours,” she said.
Sara bared that there are now talks to renew the hosting contract for another two years. However, she said that the city government needs to think deeper because there were many things to consider, especially that it also falls during the founding anniversary of the city.
“Though the city benefits a lot from Ironman, it is very critical for the security sector, especially that they barely have time to sleep for weeks to ensure the safety of everybody,” Sara said.
Ironman 70.3 is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corp. (WTC).
The “70.3” refers to the total distance in miles (113 km.) covered in the race — including the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike race, and the 13.1-mile run. Prior to the launch of the 70.3 series in 2005, the WTC races were then known as Half Ironman. CIO
