John Patrick Siron (left) and Dea Putri (right). | Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Rising triathlete John Patrick Siron and Indonesia’s Dea Salsabila Putri stole the spotlight in last Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay, topping the men’s and women’s elite categories, respectively.
Siron, a native of Iriga City in Camarines Sur, stunned the field with a breakthrough performance, finishing the race in 4 hours, 37 minutes, and 28 seconds—three minutes ahead of seasoned Filipino triathlon star August Benedicto, who clocked 4:40:58.
The 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-kilometer bike, and 21-kilometer run didn’t faze the 24-year-old Siron, who turned in splits of 30:45 (swim), 2:33:22 (bike), and 1:28:18 (run).
Benedicto, the multi-time national champion, registered 31:19 in the swim, 2:30:06 on the bike, and 1:33:59 in the run to settle for second place.
Mervin Rencel Santiago completed the men’s elite podium with a total time of 4:42:40 after posting 31:02 in the swim, 2:29:45 in the bike leg, and 1:36:40 in the run. Kenneth Bonda (5:02:22) and Julian Sebastian Teves (5:04:49) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
In the women’s elite division, Putri emerged victorious with a time of 5:26:22. She swam 27:44, biked 3:10:22, and ran 1:41:08 to edge out Philippine national team member Erika Burgos, who came in second at 5:32:30 (27:25 swim, 3:16:06 bike, 1:41:58 run).
Nicole Andaya secured third place with a 5:37:09 finish, followed by Anne Rushelle Nunez (5:41:41) and Kristine Berneth Bugna (5:42:11).