CEBU CITY (Updated) -- One of the participants in Sunday’s Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines died in an accident along the bike course in this city, reports said.
The fatality, identified as Ramon Igaña Jr., died after he fell off his bike and hit his head on the gutter along the South Coastal road in Cebu City. A marshal who saw the incident immediately called the medics.
Igaña was rushed to Chong Hua Hospital but doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
Igaña registered for the relay category of the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines, along with his wife, Humility Igaña (run), and Benjamin Balaoro Jr. (swim). Their team was named TTB Extreme.
Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 had two categories: individual and relay. TTB Extreme’s race number was R399.
Organizers of the race have not yet issued any statement on the incident, which is not the first time in the history of Ironman 70.3 Philippines.
In 2009, Ironman 70.3 competitor Miguel Vazquez also died while swimming in the first leg of the triathlon held in Camarines Sur. His body was found in the second lagoon and medics tried to revive him but failed.
The Ironman is a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. It consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 kilometer) swim, 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run.
The race on Sunday is also known as Half-Ironman. The “70.3” refers to the total distance in miles covered in the middle distance triathlon race – 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim on an open sea in Mactan, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. (Sunnex)