Ironman great Alexander graces Subic Bay action

SUBIC BAY—Five-time world champion Craig “Crowie” Alexander will be a source of inspiration to the Century Tuna full Ironman Philippines and the IM 70.3 Subic Bay fields blasting off this Sunday, as he watches the action where participants from 45 countries have signed up.

The Australian icon, the 70.3 Subic champion in 2016, is retired from competitive racing, but has come to the country to join in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the event and the fifth holding of the full Ironman.

More than 1,500 participants have so far entered as slots to the World Championship will be dangled in the tournament seen as one of the best stops of the circuit with Subic Bay maintaining the world-class course.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest endurance athletes in history, Alexander cemented his legacy in 2011 by capturing both the Ironman and IM 70.3 World Championships on the same year, a historic “double” that remains the stuff of triathlon lore.

His arrival has already supercharged the energy in Subic Bay, as action kicked off on Friday with the vibrant Sun Life Underpants Run.

It all leads to the weekend’s crowning jewels on Sunday, where close to 500 elite endurance athletes will push their minds and bodies to the absolute limit in the punishing full Ironman event–a grueling 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-km bike, and a full 42-km marathon run.

The others will see action in the IM 70.3, a 1.9-km swim, 90-km bike, and 21-km run event.