Run United 2 - 16000 Runners

Today 21Aug11 as early as 3am all roads were leading to Bonifacio Global City (BGC) for the Run United 2 which is the 2^nd Leg of the Runrio Trilogy. The event marks also the 4^th year of RUNRIO in organizing local road races who are primariy one of if not the main driving factor in the popularity of running in the Philippines today which has never had it as big as what it is now.

In 2007 when Runrio did their first race event there were only1888 registered runners which at that time was already considered a big crowd. Today, after 4 years Run United 2 generated 16000 registered runners (21k/3500 10k/5000 5k/3k/500m/balance). For a single day event I think this number is something for the records. In this magnitude of participants a major factor is crowd management which I would like to congratulate RUNRIO to have a done a good job in making sure of safety and orderliness during the event.

Participants that joined the event have their own individual reasons for picking up the sport of running. Whatever they may be, it is still a step forward for the well being of each individual person. What has fascinated me were the smile and glow in the faces of the participants and even the non-participants who came along to see their family and/or friends.

As I was entered in the 10k event I was able to watch the gun start for the 21k which was a sight to behold with all 3500 runners just for the 21k event. The 10k event due to the number has reached 5000 the gun start was in two waves starting from 5:30am and folowed 3 minutes after for safety reasons. This was followed by the 5k/3k/ and the 500m events for kids.

I completed my 10k event in an unofficial time of 01h11m51s and a ton of joy in my heart to share the road with the different runners in all walks of life.

Happy 4^th anniversary to RUNRIO and may you continue to deliver world class road races in the Philippines.

Run and Leap - Making a Difference

This weekend was another of those small scale running event for awhortwhile cause, for the benefit of OLOLH CHARITY PATIENTS. Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital Medical Staff Organization, Inc. sponsored a ( click on distance to see route) 3K  a 5K and a 10K run and and organized by Run For Change.

The venue was at Venice Piazza, Mckinley Hill, Taguig City. When I arrived the venue at around 5am officers of the sponsoring organization were already on the stage and providing the needed informations to participants and encouraging words to set the tempo before the gunstart. There were welcoming speeches, prayers and aerobic warm up to liven the crowd. At 6am the 10K event was gun started and followed in intervals by the 5K and 3K events.

I would like to congratulate the organizers for a sucessful and well organized event. For possible improvement in future the following could be improved, correct positioning of the distance markers which were not consistent to the actual distances. In particular,  the 6km marker and the 7km marker was less than 0.5km apart and the total 10km distance was short being only 9.81km. However, marshalling on street junctions, hydration stations were well handled. Again, for a non commercialized road race it was a success.

I completed by 10k (9.81km by my Garmin 310xt) after 01h12m53s it was a struggle on my part considering the route was hilly comparative to the usual BGC route and that the race started already at 6am which brought about temperature at 28F by 7am considering the clear skies.

Conratulations to OLOLH Medical Staff Organization, Inc. - you made a diffenece.

35th Milo Manila Elimination - Singing Dancing Running In The Rain (sidelight KSwiss Kwicky Blade Light)

In the Philippines when you mention the product of Nestle’s MILO it is but synonymous to RUNNING. Milo Marathon is on its 35^th year and on July 31, 2011 it was the Manila Eliminations.  The 42k and 21k events had their qualifying time that will eventually culminate to the 35^th Milo National Finals. As always there were also the 10k 5K and 3k events.

This year the weather was not as cooperative as in the past for this morning it was not only raining, but, it was pouring hard very hard. However, there were still a great number of runners who braved the rain for all the categories. It makes me wonder what can prevent these runners from running?

Due to the rain and the traffic congestion on the junction at Macapagal Highway and EDSA leading to Mall Of Asia (MOA) I barely made it to the starting pen of the 10k event.  It can be considered some sort of a blessing as I need not soak it out in the rain while waiting for the gun start. At exactly 5:30am the starting gun was sounded amidst heavy rain and streets littered with ponds of water.

Milo Marathon in past has generated one of the most well attended if not the most attended road race. However, due to the weather condition, I would safely say that more than half of the usual number preferred to stay at home. For those that endured the rain, it was a great experience. It was singing, dancing and running in the rain.

01h13m26s after the start I crossed the finish line. The rain did not let up from start to finish and I was astonished to see that they were still runners and supporters awaiting for the awarding program to start despite of the rain.  I did not bother to linger around the activity area, but choose to proceed to my car and head home for a well deserve hot shower.

The 35^th Milo elimination in Manila was a rain experience. Singing, dancing and running in the rain. Congratulations to all runners and to Nestle’s Milo Marathon Team. 


Posted hereunder is my official 10k results;

SIDELIGHT – K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light

Last 21Jul11 I bought myself a K-SWISS KWICKY BLADE LIGHT at their Glorietta 4 outlet store. Today at the 35^th Milo Elimination I tested the shoes. It had a nice fit and ride all throughout my event. However when I arrived home I noticed that yellow lining of the front foxing at the uppers of the shoe has separated. I love how the shoe responded in the rain run, however, it’s a great disappointment for the durability. Considering the cost is P6,500.00+ I brought the shoe back also today to the store. Being a Sunday I was promised that the quality control of their head office will give a feedback by Monday. I hope and pray that I get a replacement shoe. Let us see what is the after sales dependability of K-Swiss. 


(update as of 1Aug11 KSwiss outlet in Glorietta informed me that my defective pair of shoe will be change soonest the new stock of Kwicky Blade Lights arrive from USA)


(update as of 13Aug11 I received my replacement Kwicky Blade Lights from KSwiss Glorietta - Great after sales support and special thanks to store staff Richard and Fatima, I highly recommend this product in particular the professional after sales support) 

Takbo.ph Runfest 2011 - "Lutong Bahay"

Takbo.ph is the largest RUNNING community and website in the Philippines. It has been three years since its birth in July 2008 which was conceptualized by sweethearts then (spouses now) Jinoe and Que Gavan with close running friends. For a short period of time Takbo.ph is now an institution with the running community in the Philippines.

Takbo.ph has been very close to my heart for I seen the group grow in numbers and mature to its task in coming up with a holistic running community. The group does not have the written structural leadership but has been working on its day to day affairs more on voluntarism and love/passion of individual members and our course the dedication and passion of Jinoe and Que in the field of running. The community does not limit itself to running, but, has ever since as well been committed to social responsibility having been involved in many social works in the past. I for one have been supportive of the community and am proud to consider myself part of this community (there is no formal membership to the community).

It was therefore a must on my part to participate in the “Takbo.ph Runfest 2011” even if there was another race on the same day. But what really was the strong point of the runfest today? The Takbo.ph Runfest 2011 was a "LUTONG BAHAY” a “HOME COOKED MEAL”. 

I could not find any better analogy on how the event was held today. It was perfect, great and fantastic in all aspect for the event was an offering of runners for runners in the spirit of volunteerism. It may lack the grand scale presentations and commercialism of big running events we are use of now, but, it was meant to be a simple event of runners. It is as I have said a “Lutong Bahay” a great meal, good taste and labor of love as what we are fed at home. Comparatively not on the same scale as on a five star hotel food but definitely on much intimate and personal touch.

I participated in the 16k event today and completed the race in 02h03m48s (unofficial time). The figure may not be fantastic but the joy in my heart in seeing the volunteers manning whatever has been tasked to them and the encouraging words and smile you see in their faces were the highlights for me for the Takbo.ph Runfest 2011.

Happy 3^rd Anniversary Takbo.ph  

Tagaytay Highlands Woodridge to Saratoga - 4.52k Photo Blog

It has been more than 3 months since the family visited Tagaytay Highlands, given the good weather on the week end between 15-17 July 2011, late evening on 15Jul11 we headed our way to Tagaytay Highlands for a much needed weekend rest.

Waking up early on Saturday 16Jul11, I decided to take a short workout run from Woodridge to Saratoga within the Highlands estate. I firmly believe that the place has one of the best scenery for a road or trail run not only locally but comparative to any place in the region.

I have done a photo blog of the run point by point hoping to capture the beauty of the place. I usually have my 10k route but this time I decided to take only the 4.52k segment of the said route.

I hope the picture gives justice to the beauty and freshness of the place.