Davao City will host the full-distance IRONMAN Philippines Davao in 2027, with Sunrise Events citing its infrastructure developments, safety and security, and strong support from the city government as key factors in its selection. The event is expected to attract local, national, and international triathletes.
“We want to explore other parts of the Philippines because we’re also doing this for sports tourism in the country … Now, we have seen that Davao has progressed by leaps and bounds in all facets,” Princess Galaura, President of Sunrise Events, said during the IRONMAN media launch.
“Lahat ng required infrastructure and volume capacity to support the event nandito na, there’s an airport na kasya yung bikes natin. As I’ve said, there’s so many hotels—different kinds, different options—maraming klaseng athletes can already afford to come here. Hospitals meron na, restaurants meron na (Davao City already have all the required infrastructure and volume capacity to support the event. There’s an international airport that can accommodate our bikes. There are so many options for accommodations that different athletes can choose from. There are also hospitals and restaurants),” she added.
Galaura also highlighted Davao City’s safety, security, and cleanliness.
“Davao really doesn’t have any trash, doesn’t have double parking. So talaga’ng malinis and safe and secure, and we want to tell the world that there are other parts of the Philippines that they can go to na hindi lang Metro Manila, hindi lang Cebu (So it’s really clean, safe and secure, and we want to let the world know that there are other places in the Philippines that they can go to—not just Metro Manila and Cebu),” she said.
She further emphasized the uniqueness of Mindanaoan culture, cuisine, people, and tourist spots that athletes may experience when they visit the region.
“Even if you went to Cebu, even if you went to Subic, going to Mindanao is totally different in terms of everything: cuisine, culture, people, tourist spots. And of course, the triathlon base here is strong,” Galaura emphasized.
Preparations for the full-distance IRONMAN Philippines Davao and IRONMAN 70.3 is underway. Registration for the full distance and the 70.3 is also ongoing. For more details on the race and registration, interested triathletes may visit https://www.ironman.com/races/im-philippines and https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-davao-philippines. CIO
Written by: J. Villaluz
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo by: City Sports Development Division