Laoag all set for first int’l triathlon in March 2027

Laoag Mayor James Bryan Q. Alcid, representing the Laoag City government, and Sunrise Event President and General Manager Princess Galura sign the contract for the international triathlon to be hosted by Laoag City in March 2027. (Photo by Larry Pedralvez)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz, Staff Reporter

LAOAG CITY—Laoag City is set to host its first international triathlon in March 2027 following the signing of a contract between the city government and the Sunrise Event and Ironman Group on August 18, 2026.

The contract signing was held at the Laoag City Conference Room, with Laoag Mayor James Bryan Q. Alcid representing the city government and Sunrise Event President and General Manager Princess Galura signing for the event organizer.

The city government has approved PHP20.2 million for the Laoag City Sports Development and Tourism Promotions Project to support the staging of the international triathlon.

Galura said Sunrise Events has been organizing Ironman and international triathlon events since 2009, beginning in Camarines Sur with 583 participants. The event expanded to Cebu in 2012 and, in 2018, was staged in other parts of the country, including Lapu-Lapu, Davao, Subic Bay and Puerto Princesa.

Laoag will be the latest host when the event comes to Northern Philippines in March next year.

Galura said hosting an international triathlon requires compliance with several international standards, including sufficient hotel accommodations for about 3,000 people, an international airport, adequate food establishments and other logistical requirements.

She said previous events attracted athletes from dozens of countries, with Davao hosting participants from 48 countries, Subic Bay from 54 and Lapu-Lapu from 49. She said it is still too early to determine how many foreign athletes will participate in the Laoag event.

Galura expressed confidence that the event will generate economic benefits for Laoag, citing Lapu-Lapu, which has hosted the event 12 times over 14 years.

She said Sunrise Events conducted at least four assessments of Laoag to determine whether the city could meet the requirements, including hotel and accommodation capacity, restaurants, peace and order, and the size and condition of roads and streets.

The organizer will handle the event’s global marketing and promotions, which Galura said will also give Laoag international exposure. Registration is scheduled to open on August 25, 2026, coinciding with the event’s global launch.

Alcid thanked the Ironman Group for choosing Laoag as a host, making the city the first in Northern Philippines to stage the international triathlon.

The mayor said the city government also conducted its own assessment and found that Laoag has the capacity to host the event.

As part of its preparations, the city will launch “The Road to Ironman,” a series of programs, activities and projects leading up to the competition.

Alcid also said the city may seek assistance from neighboring municipalities for additional hotel and accommodation capacity if the number of participants grows.

He assured that public safety will be a priority, with traffic management measures to be implemented once the final race route is released.