IRONMAN Philippines, the renowned brand for athletic competitions, is set to launch another all-female and inclusive marathon called the “5K All Female Reyna Bulakna Run” this April.
The event, in partnership with the Lapu-Lapu City Government and private partner, 2Go Group Incorporated, will be held at the Liberty Shrine, also known as the Lapu-Lapu Shrine, in Lapu-Lapu City at 5 p.m. on April 19, 2024.
The friendly race is open to all females, regardless of age, including transgender women and other female LGBTQ members, as announced by Princess Galura, the general director of Ironman Philippines, at a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.
Galura encouraged wives, female relatives of previous and upcoming Ironman Triathlons, Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu and Ironkids participants to join.
The Ironman Philippines is organizing the all-female fun run named after Bulakna, Lapu-Lapu’s wife, to celebrate International Women’s Month in March.
This will be the third female-only fun run by Ironman Philippines, following the Irongirl competitions held in 2016 and 2019.
5k route
The marathon will cover a distance of five kilometers, starting with a two-loop run inside the Liberty Shrine.
Once they exit the Shrine, runners will turn right on Punta Engano Road and then left on Liberty Shrine Road towards the Spanish Loop. From there, they will make a right on the Spanish Loop and then a left on Peninsula Drive towards Newtown Boulevard. At this point, they will turn right on Newtown Boulevard and make a U-turn on the roundabout, which will serve as the turn-around station (TA1), and head back towards the beach.
Runners will then make another U-turn at a roundabout, which will serve as TA2, near the beach and take Newtown Boulevard towards the Spanish Loop. They will then make a right on the Spanish Loop and another right on Lapu-Lapu Shrine Road.
After that, runners will make another U-turn just before the end of Lapu-Lapu Shrine Road to start the second loop, following the same route going to TA4 and TA5 and back to TA3.
After completing the second loop, runners will turn right on Punta Engaño Road and then left towards the entrance of the Liberty Shrine to reach the finish line.
500 slots
Galura announced that they had prepared 500 slots for the activity, but mentioned they might add 300 more slots if the tickets sold out quickly.
Those who are interested may visit their website to register.
During the official launch of the registration on Feb. 14, Galura shared that 100 slots have already been taken for the event.
The marathon tickets sold at P750 include a race kit consisting of an Ironman T-shirt, run bib, and tiara. The race kit also includes sponsor giveaways and P100 food vouchers, which participants can use to buy food at the Kadaugan Food Market, located within the Liberty Shrine.
Galura clarified that finisher medals will be awarded to the winners, but no cash prizes will be given.
Apart from the Reyna Bulakna Run, two other events are scheduled to take place in Lapu-Lapu, namely, the Ironkids Triathlon on April 20, and the Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu Triathlon on April 21.
Lapu-Lapu Lone District Rep. Cynthia “Cindi” Chan announced that the Lapu-Lapu City Government, as the host city for the three athletic competitions, will allocate P10 million for the funds needed for the events.
These events are part of the Kadaugan sa Mactan Festival, which commemorates the historic battle against foreign invasion on the Island of Mactan, on April 27.