SUBI—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 4:37:28 over the grueling 1.9km 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.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, sa second lap ng run dapat maabutan ko sila, kasi kung hindi, mahihirapan na akong makuha ‘yung panalo (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.
Fuelled by resolve, Ciron stayed locked in despite the scorching heat and high stakes.
“Hindi ko na rin natantya kung saan ako umatake. Basta focus lang talaga. Target ko talaga ay mabilis na run, pero grabe, sobrang hirap (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).
Nicole Andaya, who timed 34:00 in swim, flashed her superb biking and clocked 02:54:02 but faded in the run with 01:59:31 clocking to finish third in 5:37:09 in the event presented by Century Tuna and supported by Subic Bay, NLEX, MPTC, SCTEX, Amlan, Ion Advanced Electrolyte Drink, 2GO, Salt+Fin, Santé, SECC, Teresa Marble, Manila Bulletin, Tempo, Hoka, Roka, Breitling, AG1, Hyperice, Qatar Airways, Rouvy, TriDot, Wahoo, and Zoot Sports.
Benedicto and Burgos, on the other hand, shared the Bagong Bayani awards, a special elite category for current and former Filipino national athletes.
Meanwhile, Darrell Bada, a standout product of the IRONKIDS program, turned in a stellar performance to capture the overall crown in the Sunrise Sprint, which featured a 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride, and 5km run.
Bada clocked a total time of 1:06:29, showcasing his all-around strength with splits of 09:58 (swim), 34:28 (bike) and 18:04 (run). He edged out Dayshaun Ramos, who had seized the early lead with a 09:26 swim and maintained his edge in the bike segment (34:33), but couldn’t hold off Bada’s strong finishing kick, settling for second in 1:06:35.
Peter del Rosario rounded out the podium with a 1:10:02 effort. The three also swept the top spots in the 15–19 age group.
On the women’s side, Katrina Salazar delivered a commanding performance to secure the overall title, finishing in 1:19:50. She bested Hanzel Barrameda (1:33:39) and Mikaela Caruncho (1:34:15).
Salazar also took the 20–24 age group title, with Caruncho placing second. Barrameda, meanwhile, topped the 25–29 division, while Athena Gumaya ruled the 15–19 category in 1:34:46.
Other women’s age-group champions included Isabelle Manlulo (30–34 – 1:43:21), Sienna Flores (35–39 – 1:48:53), Sherlyn Tagara (40–44 – 1:50:19), Joyce Evangelista (45–49 – 2:07:10), Ani Brown (50–54 – 1:34:38), Rio Mayuga (55–59 – 2:16:46) and Mariette Scoop (60–64 – 2:00:02).
In the Sunrise Sprint’s men’s division, Daniel Cadavos topped the 20–24 class with a time of 1:12:19, while other age-group winners were John Paul Daquioag (25–29 – 1:18:05), Ted Siquian (30–34 – 1:24:37), Ulwan Dimaporo (35–39 – 1:22:51), Jethro Ramos (40–44 – 1:13:57), Jeffrey Codino (45–49 – 1:28:14), Joseph Pedrosa (50–54 – 2:09:23), Geraldo Costa (55–59 – 1:45:38), Rene Catajay (60–64 – 1:52:26) and Josef Gueta (65–69 – 1:59:18).
