Many are called, but few are chosen.” In the world of ultradistance racing, this isn’t just a saying – it’s a warning. The Ultraman World Championship exists to break even the toughest athletes.
Over the weekend in Hawaii, Jennifer Tan Uy proved she was unbreakable, becoming the first Filipina to finish the Ultraman World Championship.
“When I crossed the finish line, I wanted the world to see that Filipinos can,” said Uy, her voice carrying the exhaustion of enduring 320 miles (515kms) across three brutal days. “This milestone is for the Philippines. It is a symbol of what Filipinos can do.”
Held on the Big Island, the Ultraman is one of the most punishing ultra-endurance triathlons on earth: 515 kilometers through open water, unforgiving bike climbs and a soul-crushing run.
With only 20 elite athletes invited this year, the competition was ruthless. Several fell short, but Uy wasn’t one of them.
She endured, she finished, and she did it while carrying the Philippine flag into the record books.
Uy opened with a demanding 4:39:41 swim over 6.2 miles (10 km), followed by a 7:17:57 finish in the 90-mile (144 km) bike leg to close Day 1.
Day 2 saw her push through another 171.4 miles of cycling, completing it in 11:28:16 for a two-day total of 23:25:54 on the bike.
On Day 3, she confronted the notorious 52.4-mile (84.3 km) double marathon, finishing in 10:34:11 for an overall time of 34:00:05.
Her performance placed her third among women and 13th overall – though Ultraman is less about podiums and more about survival and personal conquest.
The race’s champion, Alex Kniazeu, recorded 21:27:36, but in Ultraman, every finisher earns the same medal because beating the course is the true victory.
Uy understood that deeply, especially after nearly missing the cutoff at Ultraman Florida earlier this year by less than two minutes.
That near-defeat forged a hunger that carried her to Hawaii, where she vowed she would never repeat the mistakes that almost cost her before.
“Knowing my struggle in Florida stemmed from poor fueling, I enforced a strict, pre-planned nutrition schedule. Every 15 minutes, calories and electrolytes,” said Uy.
Each day was a battle against time and self; one missed cutoff could have ended everything. Still, she pushed mile by mile, fueled by national pride and belief in her mission.
“The mindset that fueled my final push was mission-driven motivation,” she explained. “I shifted my focus from personal discomfort to the responsibility of being the first Filipino to complete the Ultraman World Championship. That sense of accountability to a goal bigger than myself gave me the emotional fuel to override the urge to quit.”
Her pacing strategy was deliberate, guided by coaches Nylah Bautista and Saul Sibayan, whose data-driven approach ensured she avoided burning out too early.
Nutritionist Timothy Ting also crafted a meticulous fueling and recovery system, which Uy credits as foundational to her survival and success.
“The most crucial preparation was my meticulous nutrition and recovery strategy,” she said. “It wasn’t just about fueling. It was a disciplined process designed to manage risk and maintain physical sustainability over a prolonged, stressful period. That meant prioritizing sleep, refueling, and systems that would keep my body from shutting down. I committed to maintaining a positive mindset and demeanor throughout the race – not just for myself, but to prevent my attitude from adding stress to my team.”
Day 1 nearly broke her. She barely made the cutoff and was the last allowed through, knowing two others had already been eliminated.
“Day 1, the swim and bike, was the toughest for me. I barely made the cutoff – I was the last participant allowed through. Two others didn’t make it. When I saw my total swim time of 4 hours and 47 minutes, and realized I had 7 hours and 13 minutes left to finish a brutal bike course, I knew it would be a painful, stressful, full-blown battle. It felt like God was asking, ‘How badly do you want this?’ And because I wanted it so badly, I pushed with every ounce of grit. Those 7 hours and 10 minutes on the bike were pure determination.”
Through it all, her support team kept her physically stable and mentally anchored. With their help, Uy didn’t just finish – she expanded what’s possible for Filipino endurance athletes, especially women determined to break barriers.
