SIX months after holding its inaugural run, Barangay Lahug will hold Running MAD 2 on Nov. 22 at 5:45 a.m., officials announced in a press conference yesterday afternoon. The event will hold races for 3 kilometers, 6K and 12K.

Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos said the run is meant to encourage people to adopt a fit and active lifestyle.

“If you’re smart, invest in your health,” said de los Santos, who will be running 12K during the event as part of her preparation for the 21K event in the Cebu City Marathon on Jan. 10, 2010.

MAD 2 press launch
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos (center), a leader of the opposition, said that if City Hall wants to drag her off the road, they can “catch me if they can.” With de los Santos in yesterday’s launching of Runnind MAD 2 are Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera (left) and race director Raffy Uytiepo. CLICK ON FOTO TO ENLARGE IMAGE. (FOTO BY MAX LIMPAG)

Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera said the race will start at exactly 5:45 a.m. to spare runners from the heat of the sun. He said starting on time is also one way of instilling discipline on participants.

“As runners, discipline is important to us,” Garganera said. He said organizers will do everything to make sure the runners are safe. He said they will work with police and traffic personnel as well as deploy barangay workers and volunteers.

Garganera said live bands will be playing on certain points along the route to make the run livelier. He said they patterned this from runs staged abroad like the New York Marathon.

Race Director Raffy Uytiepo said the previous MAD (Make a Difference) race did not have problems with water supply and they can assure participants of the coming run of enough water stations.

De los Santos said the Running MAD in May gathered more than 2,500 runners and they expect even more to join the coming event.

During the launch, de los Santos said she was inviting her bitter political rivals Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Vice Mayor Michael Rama to join the run. Garganera said they would invite Osmeña to fire the starting gun so long as he would pledge not to aim it at de los Santos.

When asked by a reporter whether she wasn’t worried the Cebu City Government would withhold permits for her run considering her recent row with City Hall over basketball boards, de los Santos said City Hall can “catch me if they can.” She said that if City Hall officials want to drag her off the road, they still have to catch up with her first.

Registration for the event is P100, which is inclusive of a singlet. Uytiepo said they will close registration three days before the event.

The winners of the 12K event in the men’s and women’s categories will get P5,000 each and medals. Second placers will get P3,000 while 3rd placers will receive P2,000 plus the medals. The 4th to 10th placers will each get P300 and a medal.

The first placers of the 6K event will get P2,000 each for the men’s and women’s categories; P1,000 for the 2nd placers and P500 for the 3rd placers.

Runners can register at the Lahug Barangay Hall, Holiday Spa and Waterfront City Gym. Singlets, however, will only be distributed at the Lahug Barangay Hall.

Below is an interactive map of the race route. You can zoom into the map as well as pan it around by using the tools on the upper left portion of the screen.

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