Pete Jacobs grabbed his second consecutive Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines title with a dominant wire-to-wire victory on a winning time of 3:51:43 at the rain-drenched CamSur Watersports Complex, Pili, Camarines Sur last Sunday.
Jacobs shot out into the lead in the swim portion of the race, maintained his advantage in the bike portion, then coasted in the run portion to win comfortably over Jesse Thomas (4:12:30). Jacobs credited marriage to helping him perform better in the race.
“I got married recently and I was much more relaxed going into the race. My wife and I had a few days out in the Caramoan beach. So that helped me get into a better frame of mind going into the race,” said Jacobs.
The women’s race was much more bitterly contested. Belinda Granger overtook Amanda Stevens late in the run to post a come-from-behind victory with a winning time of 4:26:23. Stevens clocked 4:28:34 at second.
Before the start of the race, storm clouds covered the morning sky from horizon to horizon in Camarines Sur. It started to drizzle lightly just before the race started. Monsoon rains poured down from the sky in the middle of the bike race severely hampering the mobility and visibility of the participants. But the water and the cooler climate more than made up for it.
Granger was thankful for the cooling rains.
“I’m glad it rained because it became much cooler. The rains made it all different. It helped me in the long run. Because of the rains I had to keep the bike in control and rode slower. This left me with more in the run part,” said Granger.
Arland Macasieb likewise posted a come-from-behind victory in the Filipino Elite Category for the men finishing the race in 4:26:31. Neil Catiil (who was the leader in his category after the swim and the bike), was overtaken late in the race after he succumbed to hypoglycemia. Catiil was wheeled out on a stretcher by paramedics after the race.
Like the other athletes Macasieb was also thankful for the cooling effects of the rain.
“I said a little prayer last night hoping for relief from the heat. And I’m glad it rained.
The rain really saved me. It gave me a little tailwind in the bike and made the ride easier,” said Macasieb.
Cameron Brown was third in the men’s professionals with a time of 4:12:54: Erich Felbabel clocked 4:17:44, Assad Attamimi timed 4:18:08, Dane Cantwell had a mark of 4:24:25 and Justin Granger 4:25:30.
Brown was also grateful for the unexpected relief provided by the rains.
“It made it easier because it was so much cooler. I could afford to miss water stations. The road was flat and even if it rained it was not so treacherous. So the rain really helped so much,” said Brown.
It was a surprising loss for Stevens who was actually second only to Jacobs after the swim even coming out of the swim ahead of men professionals. Stevens led all women after the bike and almost the entirety of the run until she was overtaken late in the race by Granger.
Other female participants and their time include: Bree Wee, 4:35:16; and Katya Meyers 4:39:37.
Jacobs, Stevens, Catiil and Kim Manrobang thus won the Alaska Milk Swim Bonus worth $300 for finishing first in the swim portion.
Organizers strictly enforced the rules. Justin Granger broke into the top five in the bike portion. But he had to spend four minutes in the penalty box for drafting. Rains came roaring down the dark skies as the riders neared Anayan.
