The IRONMAN Group Acquires Sunrise Events, Inc., Long-Time Licensee to Celebrated Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Races in The Philippines

By Wires June 4, 2019

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The IRONMAN Group, a Wanda Sports Holdings company, announced today that it has acquired Manila-based IRONMAN licensee Sunrise Events, Inc. and all events in its portfolio, including the Regent Aguila IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Philippines held in the heart of Cebu.

In addition to this iconic event, the acquisition will bring into the fold IRONMAN^® Philippines, IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Davao, IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Subic Bay, 5150^® Cebu, 5150 Davao, 5150 Subic Bay, and the Sunlife Cycle Philippines as well as the many Sunrise Sprint, Iron Girl^® and IRONKIDS^® side events. The company has also hosted the IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship twice in more recent years. Sunrise Events, Inc. organized its first IRONMAN^® 70.3^® race in Cam Sur, Philippines in 2009 with fewer than 500 triathletes, most of whom were foreign athletes. Today the full portfolio of Sunrise Events serves more than 10,000 participants.

“It has been a privilege and an incredible journey to establish the IRONMAN brand in the Philippines this past decade,” said Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Founder of Sunrise Events, Inc. “From the infancy of Sunrise Events, we have worked to create the opportunity for Filipino triathletes to embrace multi-sport training and racing at our world-class events. At the same time, we have put the Philippines on the world triathlon map and created some of the most popular and highly regarded events amongst age groupers and professionals alike.”

The multi-award-winning Regent Aguila IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines triathlon is considered the crown jewel of the Sunrise Events portfolio. In its eleventh year of operation, it has consistently topped the IRONMAN 70.3 Athlete Choice Awards for best Post-Race Celebration and is known for its electric atmosphere and community support. The event takes place every August and sees 3,000 international athletes take on the waters at Mactan Island before traversing the roads and trails in the heart of Cebu

“Fred Uytengsu and his team built IRONMAN in the Philippines. His passion for sport and country has led to the creation of some of the best races in the world,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer of The IRONMAN Group. “Sunrise Events has been a pioneer for IRONMAN in Asia and we are proud to lead the great team that Fred has established in the Philippines on to more success in the future.”

Uytengsu will continue serving as an Ambassador for IRONMAN in the Philippines while Princess Galura will remain General Manager.

“We are very excited to welcome our long-term partner into the IRONMAN family,” said Geoff Meyer, Managing Director for IRONMAN Asia, who will oversee the Philippines business. “Having hosted two IRONMAN 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship events in 2016 and 2018, Sunrise Events, Inc. has an outstanding reputation among our athletes for delivering world-class events. We see tremendous growth opportunities in the Philippines in marathon, trail running, and mountain biking, and I have no doubt Sunrise Events will bring tremendous value and expertise to the table as we look to introduce new events in the future.”

The IRONMAN Group in Asia will add Manila to its corporate office locations, adding to offices in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The IRONMAN Group now has 29 offices globally.

All previously announced race information for each of the events, including race date, will remain the same.