Yes, you read it right, ADIDAS KOTR 21K I did it in 01h45m00sec!!! However, it is not for the race distance proper of 21k itself as the race will only be held on 25Oct09, instead, it was the QUEUING TIME for me to collect the race packet at the Megatrade Hall no.2 today 17Oct09. To say the least, it was as well a PR in my racing experience to collect a race packet.
I do not know how to explain or to what I should attribute the cause for such a problem. The only glaring fact is that the distribution system was not well organized and that the whole process was done MANUALLY to match your claim stub to your race bib number and then the manual search to the different boxes stowed on the floor.
I was in line by 11:15am and I got my race packet at 01:00pm for a record of 01h 45m 00s. Young and elite runners could have easily run the 21k during that time.
As it is only the first day of race packet collection, I hope Adidas will do something to correct the problem, otherwise, there might be tempers exploding during the distribution process. The race packet collection was timed to the much press released two day “Running Exposition”. Sad to say the Expo itself was short of anything to show as most of the booths are empty or is it just that the exhibitors have not yet arrived and occupied their assigned booths.
Anyways, I look forward to a good KOTR race as in the past which cannot be said of race packet distribution.
Your photos look very much like the long lines of desperate evacuees I have written about after the great flood, if not longer. Congratulations sir, you have the patience of Job :)
ReplyDeletewell, i just registered this morning at the expo and i got my race packet & singlet in 10 minutes! although i tried to register yesterday at adidas glorietta 3 and they told me to register at the expo instead as they are closed for registration. a simple event becoming more complicated. i hope rudy b will be able to correct/solve the problem immediately.
ReplyDeleteSir Jovie, wow that's amazing for you! But it looks like you didn't experience what most runners had to endure yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWe also tried registering yesterday at the expo, but they wouldn't let us. They told us to go to the adidas store at the ground floor Megamall-A. Then the store salesboy said to Beth, "ma'am hanggang 3:30pm lang po kami" then Beth asked, "What time is it?" He said, "3:20PM". Then he registered us. Unfortunately they said we can't claim our race packet in the expo but only in the race itself.
The registration and race packet claiming were just a nightmare for most of us. It was unbelievable.
Dear Miraclecello - I had been on longer lines before (i.e. NBI cleaance/DFA) but they were moving this one was terribly slow!
ReplyDeleteDear BR - Mari and I were watching you yesterday which only took you 20-30 minutes and were contemplating to register anew just to avoid the long line, but. sayang din pera.
Dear Natz - You have said it all. For each one that went there yesterday, they went home with a disaster story to tell for the experince.
Hi, stumbled upon your blog. Newbie runner over here aiming to run my first 10k at the KOTR.
ReplyDeleteI was way too zealous for this race, but the looooooong and stationary queue at the race packet claiming was a horrible, HORRIBLE bubble-bursting nightmare. I was queueing up by 1pm and I finally got to the booth by 3pm! Two agony-filled hours! Only to find out they had the WRONG singlet size (one size smaller) in my packet.
A series of escalations to a handful of the guys with the "organizer" IDs went futile. I was told there's NOTHING they can do about it because they ran out of sizes for the female singlets. AYayay! Naku talaga.
Dear Roxanne Girlie - I hope and pray this unfortunate experience will not hinder you from enjoying your new found sports in running. This case with KOTR is not normal and a first in local event and the same is not the norm. Enjoy running!
ReplyDeleteOh my. At QCIM earlier horror stories abound, I heard some people just got refunds in exasperation. How could that have happened? Was it the chutzpah in cramming everyone there for 2 days so that the side events have a captive market? For a race of this magnitude, I was hoping they had something up their sleeve. I feel for the members of our community who had to drive for hours only to be hassled and exasperated. Learning experience right here. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteDear Luis - If you visit Takbo.ph the comments and stories of those that have been inconvenience is quite alarming.
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