AUSTRALIA’S Josh Ferris and New Zealand’s Amelia Watkinson reigned supreme in the 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu presented by Megaworld after a grueling triathlon race in front of the cheering Cebuanos in Mactan.
Mr. Ferris led from the start to finish, timing in three hours, 49 minutes and 10 seconds in the 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21km run while Ms. Atkinson also cruised to the same runaway victory with 4:14:22.
The 24-year-old budding Australian star waxed hot by leaving his rivals off the dust in the swim leg, clocking 21:37 to set the pace in his coast-to-coast win that proved just three minutes short of the IRONMAN Philippines record set by Mexico’s Mauricio Méndez in 2018, also in Lapu-Lapu, with a 3:46:44 time.
He was steady in the bike (2:02:15 ride) before holding just enough in the run (1:20:32) as New Zealand’s Mike Phillips (3:52:40) unleashed a strong closeout to finish only three minutes shy of the title.
Completing the men’s podium was New Zealand’s Sam Osborne, last year’s runner-up to Henri Schoeman of South Africa, with 4:04:05.
The 33-year-old Ms. Watkinson, for her part, had a 10-minute lead in a more dominant showing to rule the women’s division over Australian athlete Sophie (4:24:42) and compatriot Kiwi Samantha Kingsford (4:27:45).
But more than the thrill and taste of winning the world-renowned race, Mr. Ferris and Ms. Watkinson appreciated Filipino hospitality more after being welcomed by loud cheers at the finish line by Cebuano locals and students proudly waving their flags and signs for the athletes — Filipino and foreigners they may be.
“I was screaming along without knowing. My ears were about to burst, they were so loud. All the school kids out there, all the people were cheering, and it was awesome,” said Mr. Ferris, citing his Cebu race as one of his best races ever to serve as a momentum-builder for her promising career.
“This is the pinnacle of our sport. Everyone grows up watching IRONMAN. To win here — it’s amazing. Hopefully, it’s the first of many.”
The grizzled Watkinson, who looks forward to her next race in Uzbekistan and would love to return to Cebu next year, echoed the same euphoria.
“It’s actually quite a unique atmosphere. You can feel the visual energy out there. The kids had so much enthusiasm. It’s different here — it’s not just racing, it’s racing with emotion,” she beamed.
The race had a minor crash on the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) during the bike leg amid the unexpected rain though fortunately, there were no major injuries reported with the quick response of organizers. — John Bryan Ulanday