ALL roads lead to Camarines Sur on August 13 and 14 for the third staging of the Ironman 70.3 Philippines.

But the third part of this triathlon trilogy will have added meaning as it will serve as a qualifier for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, and the Ironman World Championships 70.3 in Las Vegas this year.

“The organizers of the World Championship have seen the phenomenal success of the Ironman in the Philippines and they love what we’ve done here from the quality of the tournament to traditional Filipino hospitality,” said Wilfred Uytengsu, chief executive officer of Alaska Milk Corp. and president of Sunrise Events Inc., which organizes the Ironman brand in the Philippines. “And we’ve been accorded that honor of serving as a qualifier for Kona and Las Vegas.

A total of 55 slots (30 for Kona and 25 for Las Vegas) will be the prizes that await the top finishers in the tournament that to date has seen over 1,100 individuals, 12 professional athletes and 97 relay teams from 28 countries sign up for a test of strength and endurance in the three-leg race (swim, bike and run).

“That represents a 30-percent growth from when we first started this journey,” pointed out Uytengsu.

Pete Jacobs (3:58:41) will return to defend his title as will Neil Catiil, who topped the race among Filipino Elites.

World champions Chris McCormack and Terrenzo Bozzone, the overall champion in 2009, will be unavailable as they are currently training for their respective national teams (Australia and New Zealand).

Other pro athletes include Cameron Brown, Justin and Belinda Granger, Luke Gilmer, Bree Wee, Amanda Stevens, Fredrick Croneborg, Luke McKenzie, Amanda Balding, Dan Brown and Erich  Felbabel.

According to Uytengsu, this year’s race will add a new wrinkle for all participants.

“We do not have the most difficult race in the world but what we can do is make it even more challenging,” said the sportsman-businessman who is part of the Polo Tri Team of the Manila Polo Club.

“The swim leg will be the same but the bike and run courses will be new and different. True to the Ironman suffering condition, we have designed a race leg that we call ‘the rice cooker.’”

Catiil (4:37:10), who was a top 10 finisher last year, said he is familiar with the changes in the course and it should not be a problem for him.

“Given more opportunities to compete and learn from the professionals, I have no doubt that a Filipino will one day be a world champion,” he said in Filipino. “We just need more dedication and exposure.” --Rick Olivares