Ciron Stuns Field in IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Debut

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SUBIC — John Patrick Ciron turned his first IRONMAN 70.3 appearance into an unforgettable triumph, stunning a field of elite triathletes with a gritty, determined performance at the Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay on Sunday.

More than a win, Ciron’s victory marked a statement of focus, determination and athletic grit.

A known duathlon specialist, the Iriga City native faced questions on whether he could compete across all three disciplines against seasoned triathletes.

He answered those doubts with a breakthrough time of 4:37:28 over the 1.9-kilometer swim, 90-kilometer bike and 21-kilometer run.

Ciron sealed the victory with a stellar half-marathon leg, clocking 1:28:17 to overtake 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 Cebu champion August Benedicto, who finished second in 4:40:58.

Mervin Santiago, who faded in the final stretch with a 1:36:40 run, placed third at 4:42:40.

“I told myself I had to catch them on the second lap of the run, or I might lose the win,” said Ciron, who timed 30:45 in the swim and 2:33:21 in the bike leg.

Despite the heat and pressure, Ciron stayed focused.

“I didn’t even know where exactly I made my move,” he said. “I just stayed locked in and aimed for a fast run. It was incredibly tough.”

The 2025 World Triathlon Development Regional Cup duathlon champion has long been known for his bike-run prowess, but Subic proved he could excel in the full 70.3 format.

His win was even more impressive given the deep field and punishing race conditions.

Presented by Century Tuna and organized by Sunrise Events Inc., the race drew nearly 1,000 athletes from more than 30 countries.

Still, it was Ciron who emerged at the top—calm, focused and fearless.

Benedicto and Santiago posted swim times of 31:19 and 31:02 and bike splits of 2:30:06 and 2:29:44, respectively.

In the women’s division, Indonesia’s Dea Salsabila Putri claimed the title in 5:26:22 with splits of 27:44 (swim), 3:10:21 (bike) and 1:41:07 (run).

She edged local bet Erika Burgos, who battled stomach issues to finish second in 5:32:30 with leg times of 27:52, 3:16:05 and 1:41:57.

Nicole Andaya clocked 34:00 in the swim and posted a strong 2:54:02 bike leg but faded in the run with 1:59:31, settling for third in 5:37:09.

Benedicto and Burgos also received the Bagong Bayani awards, given to elite current or former national athletes.

Meanwhile, Darrell Bada, a product of the IRONKIDS program, claimed the overall Sunrise Sprint crown with a time of 1:06:29, clocking 9:58 in the swim, 34:28 in the bike and 18:04 in the run.

He edged Dayshaun Ramos, who led early with a 9:26 swim and held his lead in the bike (34:33) before Bada’s late surge in the run sealed the win.

Ramos placed second in 1:06:35, while Peter del Rosario rounded out the podium at 1:10:02.

The trio also swept the 15–19 age group.

On the women’s side, Katrina Salazar dominated with a 1:19:50 finish, ahead of Hanzel Barrameda (1:33:39) and Mikaela Caruncho (1:34:15).

Salazar also topped the 20–24 class, with Caruncho second.

Barrameda won the 25–29 title, while Athena Gumaya ruled the 15–19 group in 1:34:46.

Other women’s champions included Isabelle Manlulo (30–34 – 1:43:21), Sienna Flores (35–39 – 1:48:53), Sherlyn Tagara (40–44 – 1:50:19), Joyce Evangelista (45–49 – 2:07:10), Ani Brown (50–54 – 1:34:38), Rio Mayuga (55–59 – 2:16:46) and Mariette Scoop (60–64 – 2:00:02).

In the men’s division, Daniel Cadavos topped the 20–24 group with 1:12:19, followed by John Paul Daquioag (25–29 – 1:18:05), Ted Siquian (30–34 – 1:24:37), Ulwan Dimaporo (35–39 – 1:22:51), Jethro Ramos (40–44 – 1:13:57), Jeffrey Codino (45–49 – 1:28:14), Joseph Pedrosa (50–54 – 2:09:23), Geraldo Costa (55–59 – 1:45:38), Rene Catajay (60–64 – 1:52:26) and Josef Gueta (65–69 – 1:59:18).