SOUTH African Henri Schoeman showed the grit of a champion as he cruised to back-to-back wins in the men’s pro race at the Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu, even overcoming a bike mishap a day before the race.
Schoeman completely overwhelmed the pro field with his dominant performance on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, in Lapu-Lapu City, completing the half Ironman in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 52 seconds--which was more than 17 minutes from the closest rival.
Sebastian Fuchs of Austria crossed the finish line in 4:12:52 to nab second place and Ben Hamilton of Australia came in at 4:15:35 to round out the podium for men’s pro.
Schoeman shared that on Saturday, his bike frame broke, but a Cebuano generously lent him a bike that he could use in the race, allowing him to continue his title defense.
The 34-year-old triathlete wasted no time in grabbing the lead in the swim portion amid the choppy water conditions, posting the fastest swim time among male pro triathletes in 27:23.
“It was really hard to get a rhythm in the water. But I just tried to push as hard as I could because everyone is in the same water. And I swam really well. I ended up making quite a good gap,” Schoeman said of his 1.9-kilometer swim.
He then completed the 90K bike leg in 2:10:09 and the half-marathon run in 1:26:15 to secure the crown for the second consecutive year.
“This race is a very tough race and you never win it until you cross the line,” Schoeman said. “My bike frame broke. So, I had a completely different setup on the bike. And my setup was different, so my legs started cramping up on the run. So I was quite worried about that.”
Meanwhile, Australia’s Natalie Van Coevorden topped the women’s pro race in dominant fashion with a time of 4:30:11.
Charlotte McShane came second (4:47:33) and Paige Cranage (4:53:17) was at third place, respectively.
Van Coevorden clocked 33:32 in the swim portion, 2:24:21 in the bike part, and finished the run segment in 1:27:28.
“I’m really happy to get the finish line and have a great solo win,” she said.
The Ironman 70.3 Lapu-Lapu Cebu attracted more than 1,400 triathletes from 48 countries to Mactan, turning the island into a showcase of international endurance racing.
At least two athletes were rescued earlier during the swim leg amid the challenging water conditions.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” Chan said the event proceeded smoothly overall and said that cloudy weather helped keep temperatures manageable for athletes and spectators.
Chan also highlighted the race’s contribution to tourism and local businesses, with athletes, supporters and delegates expected to extend their stay in Cebu beyond the competition. / DPC