From delivering ice to becoming a veteran triathlete: August Benedicto bags Bagong Bayani Award

Filipino Times

20-06-2025

Long before the finish lines, medals, and global competitions, August Benedicto's story began on a bike, not racing, but delivering blocks of ice under the heat of the Tarlac sun. With eight siblings and a family struggling to make ends meet in Paniqui, young August knew that education was a luxury he had to fight for. So he peddled through early mornings, balancing schoolbooks with sacks of ice, chasing dreams that, back then, seemed far from the Ironman banners he'd one day cross.
Now 41, Benedicto has become one of the most enduring names in Philippine triathlon. At the recently concluded Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay, held under grueling 40-degree heat, the Ireland-based Filipino veteran dug deep once again, finishing second overall with a time of 4 hours, 40 minutes, and 58 seconds. His performance earned him the Bagong Bayani award, a special recognition given to elite Filipino athletes who continue to raise the flag in international endurance sports.
The course, brutal by any standard, featured a 1.9-kilometer swim, a 90-kilometer bike ride, and a punishing 21-kilometer run. Benedicto split 31:19 in the swim, 2:30:06 on the bike, and capped it off with a 1:33:59 run—yet another strong showing in a career that has spanned over two decades.
From school to international tracks
It's a journey built on quiet sacrifice. His first foray into competitive sports came at 14, when he was discovered for his raw talent in long-distance running. From school-level track meets to eventually earning a slot in the Palarong Pambansa, Benedicto made each opportunity count. He took on his first duathlon in 2003 and finished near the bottom of the pack. But the fire had been lit. By 2005, he was part of the Philippine Sports Commission's training pool and represented the country at the Southeast Asian Games in Pattaya, Thailand, clinching a bronze medal.
It was there that he met British triathlete and future Ironman legend Chrissie Wellington, who encouraged him to try his hand at the sport that would later define his athletic life. He joined his first Ironman 70.3 in 2009 in Camarines Sur and finished as the fourth Filipino to complete the course. In 2012, he made history by clinching his first Filipino Elite title at Cobra Ironman 70.3, a feat he repeated in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
'I was so excited for this year's race,' Benedicto said after the event. 'Just imagine, I'm already 41 and I'm still competing with younger athletes, national team members, and elite triathletes. But I focused on my training — 10 to 15 hours a week, every week. One hour swimming, one hour running, and 100 kilometers of biking every weekend.'
Sights on World Championships
Dedication, it seems, is the fuel that keeps Benedicto going. He credits his wife Anna and longtime friend Cesar Manlikmot as pillars of support through the highs and lows. 'This award is for my family. For Anna. For everyone who stood by me,' he said with pride.
As the finish line at Subic fades into memory, a new goal already looms: the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Mabea, Spain, this November. Benedicto is training for that with the same fire that once drove a teenage boy to deliver ice — not just to help his family, but to carve out a future no one thought possible.
Also shining in Subic was Iriga City's John Patrick Ciron, who won the men's elite title with a time of 4:37:28, while Indonesia's Dea Salsabila Putri topped the women's division in 5:26:22. Erika Nicole Burgos, another Filipino standout, placed third in the women's elite category with 5:32:30, earning her a Bagong Bayani award alongside Benedicto. — Alona Cochon