It is a fact that a lot of dreaded diseases like cancer, chronic lung disease, asthma, cardiovascular disease are caused by tobacco smoke. It is time for smokers to kick the habit and for non-smokers to help in the campaign against the killer vice.

Tobacco kills more than five million people a year -- more than HIV, TB and malaria combined, and will kill more unless urgent action is taken. (IMAGE*AFTER photo)

The Talisay District Hospital, as one of the primary providers of health services in the community, aims not only to treat but to protect its clientele from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. The hospital has therefore embarked on the promotion of tobacco cessation in its institution and nearby communities.

To gain a city-wide awareness of this program, the Talisay District Hospital Committee on Tobacco Cessation, in cooperation with the Talisay City Runners Club, will launch on August 28 the “Run for a 100% Smoke-Free Environment.”

The run will be in 3k, 5k, 10k and 21k categories. It will start and end at the Talisay City Hall by way of the SRP. For more information and details about how you can join the run and/or help in the smoke-free campaign, please call 273-3225. (PR)

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) chief reputation officer Sebastian Lacson said this year’s run will be bigger because the event is co-organized by the Cebu Provincial Government as a highlight of the month-long celebration of Cebu Province’s 442nd founding anniversary.

RACE SINGLET. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia with the race singlet for the Capitol-Aboitiz Race to Reduce Challenge on August 14. With the governor in yesterday’s launching are Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco (left) and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) chief reputation officer Sebastian Lacson. Click to enlarge. (PHOTO BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

In their staging of the event last year, Aboitiz was able to gather more than 2,000 runners. In this year’s staging of the run, Lacson said they are targeting 5,000 runners to join.

The run will be held on August 14 at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City. It will have 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K and 42K categories.

For the first time in a race, organizers will be offering several registration options that include the choice of not having a singlet, which Lacson said they are encouraging. “Most runners prefer to wear their own running shirts because they are already comfortable with it,” he said in the press conference.

Registration fees, options

For the 42K, runners will have to pay P700 if they want to have both the chip and race singlet. If they choose not to get the singlet, they need only to pay P550 as registration fee and they will get only the timing chip.

For 21K and 10K runners, participants who want to have both the chip and singlet need to pay P600. If they choose to only get the timing chip, they need only to pay P450.

The 5K race offers the most options. For the full racing kit of chip and singlet, participants need to pay P500. If they’ll choose only the chip, they need only to pay P350. Those who want only the singlet and not the chip, can pay P300. Those who want only to join the distance’s Fun Run category need only to pay P150.

Participants in 3K who want to have a singlet can pay the full registration fee of P300. Those who want to join the run but not pay for the singlet can register under the fun run category for P150.

Organizers, however, said only those with timing chips are qualified to win in the different categories.

Registration is ongoing at the One Cebu Expo Secretariat at the Capitol, Runnr in Ayala Center Cebu, Toby’s in SM City Cebu and at the Cebu City Sports Center. Runners can also register online at www.aboitiz.com/race2reduce, www.aboitizpower.com/race2reduce, or at www.facebook.com/race2reduce. The deadline of registration is on Aug. 6. Organizers said the deadline “will never be extended.”

Biggest prizes so far

Lacson said the Race to Reduce Challenge will offer the biggest prizes so far in a race in Cebu. The 1st placers in the male and female categories of 42K will each receive P70,000 cash. The 2nd placers will each get P40,000; 3rd placers, P20,000; 4th placers, P5,000; 5th placers, P3,000; 6th placers P2,000 and the 7th to 10th placers will get P1,000.

In the 21K, the male and female winners will each get P20,000; 2nd placers, P10,000; 3rd placers, P5,000; 4th placers P3,000; 5th placers P1,000; and the 6th to 10th placers, P500 each.

In the 10K, the prizes are: male and female 1st placers, P5,000; 2nd placers P3,000; 3rd placers, P2,000; and 4th to 10th placers, P300.

In the 5K race, the male and female winners will each get P3,000. The 2nd placers will receive P2,000; the 3rd placers P1,000; and the 4th to 10th placers, P200.

Timing system

Race director Raffy Uytiepo said the event will be using the Strider timing system which uses a strip of paper that you attach into your shoelaces. Jovy Tan of Aboitiz said the system comes with a range of data for each finisher, including their finish time, split times and place in their categories.

Uytiepo said they will observe a 7-hour cutoff time for 42K runners in the interest of road safety. Those still on the road after 7 hours will no longer be allowed to finished the run.

Lacson said they will publish the names of all finishers with timing chips in a local newspaper. The publication of finishers was started in last year’s initial staging of the run. Lacson said they are the only race in the country publishing the names of finishers.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said Capitol is extending full support for the event because her government “recognizes this need to encourage activities for health and wellness.” She said she is confident that the “can-do and indomitable will of the Cebuano will be shown” in the race.

Activities that promote healthy lifestyle and protection of the environment “is something we all must embrace,” the governor said.

Race organizers said they have gotten the assurance of full support from local officials in areas where runners will pass such as Mandaue City, Consolacion, Liloan and Compostela.

Lacson said finishers will get a foot massage, breakfast and photo opportunity at the Race to reduce photo wall near the finish line.

As with last year’s race, a photo contest will again be held for this year’s event. Photographers, however, have to register for the contest at the Aboitiz Corporate Center on Gov. M. Cuenco Ave. in Banilad, Cebu City.

The gun times for the different distances are 42K – 4 a.m.; 21K – 4:30 a.m.; 10K – 5 a.m.; and 3K/5K – 5:30 a.m.

Here’s the map of the route. Click on the image to view a larger version of the map.

Run4Q has races in 3K, 5K (call center and open categories), 10K (media and open categories) and 16K. Organizers said in a press briefing earlier this week that they worked hard to ensure that there will be ample water supply for the runners considering the recent spate of high temperatures.

PROMOTE WELLNESS. (From left) Qualfon employees Aezel C. Aguirre (employee relations), Joy Pastorfide-Roman (sourcing/branding) and Gilbey Radin (sourcing/branding) during their press briefing earlier this week on tomorrow’s Run4Q The First Call Center Run. The three said the run is meant to promote wellness especially among call center workers. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARLEN D. LIMPAG)

Race director Joel Baring said in a press briefing earlier this week that guntime will be at 5:30 a.m.

Aezel Aguirre, of Qualfon employee relations, said they decided to organize a run to celebrate their company’s anniversary because they want to encourage their workers and even those of other business process outsourcing companies to start a healthy habit of exercising.

Aquirre said the run is meant to promote wellness and healthy lifestyle among call center employees. Unlike sports like basketball, which limits participants, anyone can run, he said.

Here’s an interactive virtual map of the race route based on the map of organizers. You can zoom into the map and pan it around:

The Cebu City Government is also reported to be spending at least P1 million for free barbecue dinner for 40,000 people on May 8.

The SRP Sundown Run will have 3K, 5K and 10K races. Organizers said one lane of the SRP will be closed for the run.

After the disastrous 3rd Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes Run last Sunday, runners are looking forward to a better-organized SRP Sundown Run, which is being managed by the Run Check team of Kenneth Casquejo and Annie Neric.

Here’s the interactive virtual route map of the SRP Sundown Run. You can zoom into the map and pan it around to view other areas. The red line indicates the 3K route; the blue line, 5K; and the black line, 10K.

Starting Saturday noon, the tunnel beside Plaza Independencia will be opened for 24 hours to light vehicles. Mayor Tomas Osmeña told reporters in City Hall on Thursday that with the subway, going to the SRP will be “very easy” from Osmeña Boulevard.

To make it easy for people to attend festivities at the SRP, the City Government is fielding buses to different pick-up points all over the city to bring people to the area. The pick-up points in the north are IT Park (via Ayala), Fuente Osmeña rotunda (via Colon St.) and SM City Cebu.

In the south, the pick-up points are Pardo Church (via Mambaling), Guadalupe Church (via Tisa) and E-mall.

Buses will also be field to the Cebu City Hall.

Registration for the run ends today, May 7, at 8 p.m. You can register at the Cebu City Sports Center and the Holiday Gym & Spa in Banilad. (Update: Casquejo has announced in the CebuRunning Facebook page that registration is already closed.)

Below is the events map of SRP. Click on the photo below to view the larger image.

Men can join the run if they register with a female participant, but they won’t be eligible to win in any category. (Correction race organizer Kenneth Casquejo contacted me to say that male runners can win but only the top 3 spots of the 5K and 10K races)

Registration fee is P250 and is inclusive of a race number, route map, souvenir shirt, and a goodie bag. Runners may register at the Mabolo branch of Leona’s Bakeshop from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The run will start at 6 a.m. in IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City.

Here’s an interactive map of the route:

View Pinay In Action Visayas Leg in a larger map

The Pinay In Action team is led by Senator Pia S. Cayetano, a runner and triathlete. The group seeks to empower Filipinas by providing them with information and tools geared towards a healthier lifestyle and a better future.

Among Pinay in Action activities are sports events, fitness clinics, and talks and seminars on women’s issues. For more information about the group, log on to www.pinayinaction.com.

For inquiries, please contact:
Annie Neric
Fitness Program Director
Holiday Gym & Spa
Gov. M. Cuenco Ave. , Banilad Road
Cebu City Philipinnes
Tel No.: (032) 2330386

If you’re running to set a personal record, you’ll be disappointed.

The routes of the Red Cross Humanity Race are shorter than what have been announced. The 5K race route as indicated in the map that came with the registration form is actually just 4 kilometers, based on Google Maps data (see image). The 10K route is just 7.6 kilometers.

NOT 10K. The “10K” route of tomorrow’s Red Cross Humanity Race is actually just 7.6 kilometers, according to Google Maps data. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

If you’re using a GPS device in tomorrow’s run, I’d appreciate feedback on the actual distance of the routes. (Update: Runner Joe France Rodriguez Cañizares said his Garmin GPS watch indicated the 10K route to be only 8.89K.)

It may sound nitpicking—all this fuss on the actual distance of the routes for a charity run—but exact measurements of race courses are very important. Most runners do not compete with other runners, they compete with themselves. They want to continually set personal records. But to be able to gauge whether they have gone faster, they should be told the correct distance of the races they are running.

You cannot announce a 10K race and then plot a 7.6K route.

The Red Cross Humanity Race route map indicated that the routes were surveyed and measured by Marathon Organizer of Central Visayas. I searched through news archives and it seems race organizer Joe Deresas is involved with the group. I have nothing against Joe Deresas, who is such an amiable man, but he was involved in the two most problematic races that I’ve joined this year—Go for Green Tourism Eco-Fun Run and The Great Lapu-Lapu Run.

The Go for Green Tourism Eco-Fun Run was not only marred by chaotic timekeeping and awarding, it’s routes were also short by at least half a kilometer.

There is no excuse to get your race route measurements wrong in these days of GPS watches and Google Maps. With tools like the distance calculator in Google Maps, you no longer even have to go out to actually measure your route.

Below is the map of tomorrow’s Red Cross Run:

The maps are interactive. You can zoom into and out of it and pan it around to check the other parts of the route.

I will also be adding information on key tourist and historical spots, for the benefit of out-of-town runners.

Here’s the map for the full marathon course:

Here’s the map for the 21K race.

And here’s the map for the 5K fun run:

If you want to publish these maps in your blog or website, feel free to copy the codes below. Make sure that when you paste the code into your blog’s post editor, you are on HTML mode and not the Visual or WYSIWYG mode.

Code for the 42K map:
<iframe src="http://www.quikmaps.com/ext2/124494?t=1&ln=0&sn=1&zb=0&d=1&o=0&lat=10.3289154898305&lng=123.90568614006042&zl=18&mt=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="500" height="441" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"></iframe>

Code for the 21K map:
<iframe src="http://www.quikmaps.com/ext2/124682?t=1&ln=0&sn=1&zb=0&d=1&o=0&lat=10.329068536884344&lng=123.90572905540466&zl=18&mt=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="500" height="441" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"></iframe>

Code for the 5K map:
<iframe src="http://www.quikmaps.com/ext2/123231?t=1&ln=0&sn=1&zb=0&d=1&o=0&lat=10.328704390323633&lng=123.90530526638031&zl=18&mt=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="500" height="441" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"></iframe>

If you need help publishing the map in your site or blog or you need custom maps, feel free to contact me.

Some finishers questioned the result reported by the race’s technical staff. The confusion got to a point that a man was named a top 10 finisher in one of the women’s categories.

Race director Joe Deresas blamed yesterday’s snafu on last minute adjustments and changes by registered runners on their race distances.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. Media category winners (from left) Allain Cortes of Sun.Star Cebu (3rd), Ronald Banugon of Bombo Radyo-Cebu (1st), and Max Limpag of Sun.Star Cebu and CebuRunning (2nd). (PHOTO BY SUN.STAR CEBU’S ARNI ACLAO)

The announcing of winners got so drawn-out that even if people were already leaving, winners of some categories were still not determined. The winners of the special categories for media and the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (Cato) took so long to determine because of the chaos in the technical staff’s booth. The Cato winners, in fact, were no longer named, only the numbers were read and very few winners approached the stage to claim the prizes.

The chaos in yesterday’s race was a sharp contrast to the highly efficient and professional way Barangay Lahug’s Running MAD 2 race was managed. I think Running MAD 2 is among the best races of the year. In that race, the top finishers were told of their ranking as soon as they reached the finish line. Organizers, led by Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera, Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann delos Santos and Raffy Uytiepo, immediately awarded prizes as soon as the top 10 runners of a certain category was finished.

As expected yesterday, Kenyan missionary Simon Losiaboi extended his dominance of Cebu City races with another win in the 10K division. Losiaboi blazed through the route that started at the Asiatown IT Park and followed Gov. M Cuenco Ave. until the intersection on ML Quezon Ave. in Cabancalan in just 29 minutes and 53 seconds.

Mendel Lopez placed second to Losiaboi with a time of 30:16. Erstwhile top male runner Elmer Bartolo settled for third with a time of 31:56. Among the top 10 male finishers was trainer Mosherwin Managil, who finished 6th in his first competitive race. In previous races, Managil usually serves as pacer for the runners that he trains, including Cebu City’s top woman runner, Mary Grace de los Santos.

De los Santos again topped the women’s 10K event, finishing the race in 36:35. Madelyn Carter was again in second place, finishing the route in 38:00. Aiza Diola placed third. Among the top 10 women finishers were Anna Neric (9th) and Florence Mata (10th).

Joel Delposo topped the men’s 5K event while Joy Tabal topped the women’s 5K.

In the men’s media division, Ronald Banugon of Bombo Radyo-Cebu finished first, I was second while my colleague Allain Cortes was third. The other winners were (4th) Raffy Osumo, The Freeman; (5th) William Rama, Sun.Star Cebu; (6th) Rico Navarro, The Freeman; (7th) Rene Martel, Sun.Star Cebu; (8th) Francis June Ygot, Sun.Star Network Exchange.

The women’s media division, on the other hand, was an unmitigated disaster.

Not only did the organizers fail to rank the finishers, they never even had records of their participation. The emcee had to call the women media runners to the stage and by then, only two had stayed behind. The emcee then asked the runners, to widespread laughter, “kinsa may na-una ug human ninyo?” (Who finished first?).

Sun.Star Network Exchange managing editor and CebuRunning contributor Marlen Limpag topped the women’s media category while Sun.Star Cebu central newsroom library assistant Hanz Llerin finished second. The other winners were no longer named nor awarded. Marlen, in fact, had to ask for her medal because the emcee did not award it to them.

The screwup was unfortunate because the run held a lot of promise. The registration fee wasn’t that expensive at just P180, inclusive of a singlet, which was actually of good quality—one of the best race singlets given to runners this year. The medals they gave the winners were also of very good quality.

The water stations also had ample supply (at least in my experience—but then again, the media category was only 5K). The run was also well-attended with about 1,500 people joining it of the 2,000 or so who registered. That was a very good number considering there was another run held at the same time.

What really distinguished yesterday’s run was the number of raffle prizes offered to runners—certificates for overnight stays in Cebu’s top resorts and hotels as well as round trip tickets to domestic and international destinations. No other fun run this year can compare to the prizes offered yesterday.

But all those things were for naught because of two fatal failings—the chaos in the naming of winners and the shorter-than-announced route distances.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. Sun.Star Cebu runners with John Pages (standing, left), Simon Losiaboi, and Joel Garganera (standing, 4th from left). (PHOTO BY SUN.STAR CEBU’S ARNI ACLAO)

The 5K and 10K races were short by at least half-a-kilometer based on Garmin GPS data. This isn’t nitpicking. Having correct distances for your race routes is very important because most runners use it to check whether they have gone faster. Most runners do not use a GPS device to check distances and just assume that the organizers got the distance right. Many, I’m sure, thought they went faster yesterday because they did not know that the route was shorter.

With the tools available to plot race routes, like Google Maps, which we wrote about earlier, there’s no excuse to get the distances wrong.

Yesterday’s fun run held promise but ended as among this year’s worse. Only the great fun, good quality singlets, and great company saved it from being a total disaster.

The development was announced in a press conference this noon at the Casino Español.

“We all decided to take the risk and get the ChampionChips,” said Meyrick Jacalan of the Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC).

RFID CHIP. The ChampionChip (above) that will be used to time runners during the Cebu City Marathon. Race organizers said the chip will work under all weather conditions and the process of sending data would take just 60 milliseconds.

Jacalan, together with fellow Cebu City Marathon organizers John Pages and CERC president Jessie Taborada, said they wanted to make a good impression with the runners.

With the development, the Cebu City Marathon is just the third race in the Philippines and the first outside Manila to use the RFID chips to time runners.

The ChampionChip, according to organizers, will work under all weather conditions.

“The ChampionChip is a high-tech, identification device used to time athletes in a race. The technology consists of a miniature transponder in a specially designed housing, marked with a unique identification number. The transponder is a waterproof glass capsule that contains a silicon chip and an energizing coil. The ChampionChip can be used under all weather conditions, wet and dry, cold and hot,” organizers said in their press statement.

Organizers said the chips do not have batteries and the process of sending identification data takes just 60 milliseconds.

“There are no batteries in the ChampionChip. The transponder is inactive until moved into a magnetic field, generated by a send antenna in a mat. When the ChampionChip enters the magnetic field, the energizing coil produces an electric current to power the chip. The transponder then transmits its unique identification number to a receive antenna in a mat. The entire process takes approximately 60 milliseconds,” organizers said.

The use of the chips will give organizers immediate and accurate times of the runners. It will also allow organizers to immediately post results in the Cebu City Marathon website, Pages said. It will also allow runners to check on their split times, he said.

Organizers said the use of the chips will prevent dishonest participants from taking shortcuts. They said the chips will also help organizers manage the finish line and make it free-flowing.

With the use of the system, organizers have decided to slightly increase registration fees. Those who want to join the 21K race will now have to pay P450 from the previous fee of P350. Those joining the full marathon will now need to pay P650 from the previous P450.

Registration for the Cebu City Marathon will formally open on Nov. 27. Cebu City residents can register at the Cebu City Sports Center and Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu. Organizers said runners will get the chips with their race packets. Those from outside Cebu can download the registration forms at the Cebu City Marathon website and email the filled-up form to register@cebumarathon.com.

Organizers said only those who finish the 42K race will get a finisher’s medal.