STOP SMOKING, START RUNNING. Running is one of the best ways to help you quit smoking.

Organizers are inviting non-runners, newbies, seasoned runners and smokers who’ve long wanted to quit the habit to attend the event, which is free and open to everyone.

The event is organized by the Ungo Runners, a group that runs every Friday night on the streets of Cebu City.

Businessman and runner Richard Ho is scheduled to talk about his personal experience in kicking a smoking habit and starting and keeping a running habit. Dr. John Clifford Aranas, an ultra-marathoner, will talk about the clinical aspect of smoking.

After their talk, the group will walk and run five kilometers inside the Cebu Business Park and finish at the Asiatown IT Park.

The Ungo Friday Night Run is open to the public. Those who want to join can just go to The Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu at 9 p.m. tomorrow.

The Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu is a center that caters to the needs of people engaged in an active lifetstyle. It has served as a venue of sporting events since its grand opening in January 2010. The Active Zone is also the most popular registration site for running events in Cebu.

Losiaboi topped the 16K race that started and ended at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu. The Kenyan missionary finished the distance in 53 minutes and 36 seconds. Mendel Lopez, who twice defeated Losiaboi in back-back-back races, finished second with a time of 55 minutes. Adonis Singson was third with a time of 55:20. (Complete list of winners at the end of this article)

SUN.STAR CEBU TEAM. Runners of Sun.Star Cebu who joined the Run4Q. (SUN.STAR PHOTO/RUEL ROSELLO)

In the women’s 16K category, delos Santos went back to her winning ways after a temporary setback during the SRP Sundown Run (the first race she ran after joining an ultramarathon relay in Laguna). Delos Santos, an Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) awardee for running, topped the women’s 16K category by finishing the course in 1 hour, 1 minute and 42 seconds, a new personal record.

Delos Santos was so far ahead of her pack that the second-placer, Mary Joy Tabal, finished 10 minutes later at 1:11:37. Lorhiz Echavez, a SAC awardee for triathlon, finished third with a time of 1:20:37.

Riez Enriquez, meanwhile, topped the men’s 10K with a time of 33 minutes and 29 seconds. Erstwhile top runner Elmer Bartolo placed second with a time of 33:29. Ian Bernido placed third with his time of 34: 18.

In the women’s 10K, Merlyn Alin placed first with her time of 44:23. Meresis Ramires was second with her time of 45:14 while Gerly Rose Baylon placed third with a time of 45:35.

In the 10K media category, Bayani Alvarez of ABS-CBN placed first with a time of 41:19, Jurlito Montecillo of Wild FM placed second with a time of 47:50 while Gabby Lariosa of Cebu Daily News placed third with a time of 48:01.

In the men’s 5K, Jorry Ycong ran away with the top prize by finishing in 16:41. Jobert Carolino was second with a time of 16:49 while Micheal Estrera was third with a time of 16:55.

In the women’s 5K, Aiza Suay Baguio topped her group by finishing in 21 minutes and three seconds. Emily Rosas was second, finishing in 24:04, while Kresha Mae Ygot finished third with a time of 24:59.

In the call center employees’s category, PeopleSupport runners dominated the 5K race by taking the top two spots. Paul James Zafico finished first with a blistering time of 18:30 while Arthur Saveron finished second with a time of 22:04. Kristiane Lim was third, finishing the race in 23:23.

In the men’s 3K, Jerry Laruya won the race in 9:45; Errold Alipio was second with his time of 11:15 while Ian Rommel Rivera was third with his time of 11:47. In the Women’s 3K, Romylin Ignacio placed first with a time of 15:27; Judith Ocana was second with her time of 16:25; while Lavina Obiedo placed third with her time of 16:57.

Apart from the complaint on a disorganized start and routes that were short by about 200 meters (based on Garmin GPS data), the race was rated good by many runners who talked to CebuRunning. The starting line was crowded and some walkers registered in the shorter distances blocked the way of runners who were at their correct places behind the starting line. The starting gun was also fired only after the runners had started moving. But overall, runners told CebuRunning that they enjoyed the race.

There was ample water (although there were some complaints of cups running out) and even food at the finish line. The organizers also raffled off several items, including pairs of shoes, to the delight of the runners, many of whom stayed even for the awarding.
Results

5K OPEN (MEN)
1.) Jorry Ycong 16:41
2.) Jobert Carolino 16:49
3.) Micheal Estrera 16:55
4.) Miljone Luterte 17:24
5.) Harold Estrada 17:37
6.) Marlon Furagganan 17:41
7.) Ian Refuela 17:47
8.) Roland Batiancila 18:09
9.) Jefferson Antipuesto 19:59
10.) Roberto Daquey 22:48

5K OPEN (WOMEN)
1.) Aiza Suay Baguio 21:03
2.) Emily Rosas 24:04
3.) Kresha Mae Ygot 24:59
4.) Naoko Idio 25:25
5.) Lorilyn Abucay 26:09
6.) Tricia Mae Lapasaran 26:23
7.) Irene Mangubat 27:05
8.) Nora Villamor 27:20
9.) Mizraym Capangpangan 28:29
10.) Virginia Parajenog 29:11

5K (CALL CENTER AGENT)
1.) Paul James Zafico 18:30
2.) Arthur Saveron 22:04
3.) Kristiane Lim 23:23
4.) Jeffrey Oliva 23:28
5.) Linno Carlo Galindo 23:33
6.) Roy Sison 25:40
7.) Mitchelle Jala 25:50
8.) Osias Manlucob 27:43
9.) Edd Ryan Dayuha 27:47
10.) Tricia Marie Dingcong 28:52

10K OPEN (MEN)
1.) Riez Enriquez 33:29
2.) Elmer Bartolo 33:29
3.) Ian Bernido 34:18
4.) Eugene Delposo 34:40
5.) Alvirg Busa 34:54
6.) Heronesio Padilla 37:30
7.) Abello Go 38:52
8.) Garry Garcia 40:02
9.) Demetrio Rosales 41:16
10.) Junjun Pabatang 41:19

10K OPEN (WOMEN)
1.) Merlyn Alin 44:13
2.) Meresis Ramires 45:14
3.) Gerly Rose Baylon 45:35
4.) Pearl Beronia 47:51
5.) Emeralde Hermosilla 52:43
6.) Runner no. 867 57:11
7.) Jenevieve Torregosa 1:00:41
8.) Regie Real 01:02:53
9.) Visminda Truya 01:06:53
10.) Runner no. 903 01:07:08

10K ( MEDIA )
1.) Bayani Alvarez (ABS-CBN) 41:19
2.) Jurlito Montecillo (Wild FM) 47:50
3.) Gabby Lariosa (Cebu Daily News) 48:01
4.) Joefrey Quinones (dyRF) 52:12
5.) Juvey Veloso (Sun.Star Cebu) 52:36
6.) Max Limpag (Sun.Star Cebu) 53:24
7.) Ernesto Cabunag (Sun.Star Cebu) 53:36
8.) William Rama (Sun.Star Cebu) 56:41
9.) Allain Glenn Cortes (Sun.Star Cebu) 1:03:53
10.) Daido Stephen Abcede (Sun.Star Cebu) 1:05:53

16K (MEN)
1.) Simon Losiaboi 53:36
2.) Mendel Lopez 55:00
3.) Adonis Singson 55:20
4.) John Philip Duenas 57:48
5.) Moh Sherwin Managil 1:01:43
6.) Wilfredo Librinca, Jr. 1:02:31
7.) Roger Saldo 1:06:44
8.) Renzie Gabuya 1:07:32
9.) Raymart Montecalvo 1:08:16
10.) Ralph Arche 1:08:55

16K (WOMEN)
1.) Mary Grace delos Santos 1:01:42
2.) Mary Joy Tabal 1:11:37
3.) Lorhiz Echavez 1:20:37
4.) Melinda Ponce 1:25:54
5.) Mary Ann Benedicto 1:29:39
6.) Rachel Limtong 1:38:16
7.) Ritchelle Valdez 1:39:40
8.) Marina Lipardo 1:40:14
9.) Carmel Angel Suico 1:40:34
10.) Maria Glen Pontanar 1:42:05

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:

R.O.X. is “the biggest outdoor sports and recreation hub in Asia,” the company said in a press statement.

Its shop in Ayala Center Cebu has two levels, packed with outdoor sports recreation gear and equipment for hiking, climbing, water sports, surfing, adventure travel, wellness, biking and even scuba diving.

ADVENTURE SHOP. R.O.X or Recreational Outdoor eXchange in the Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu sells sports recreation gear and equipment for hiking, climbing, water sports, surfing, adventure travel, wellness, biking and even scuba diving. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

R.O.X. is “one-stop shop for all your outdoor needs.”

R.O.X carries brands such as The North Face, Columbia, Mt. Hardwear, Jamis, Keen, Eagle Creek, Habagat, Rudy Project, Blood Red among other local and international brands.

The company said it is also working closely with the Department of Tourism to promote the country and provide adventure tour packages like hiking, camping, river rafting, kayaking and eco-tourism tours like bird watching.

The R.O.X. shop in Cebu is only the second outlet in the country.

“R.O.X’s second store will give the Cebuanos, most especially its growing number of outdoor adventure enthusiasts, a whole lot of options for recreation sports, outdoor activities and explorations because Cebu is where the adventure is,” the company said.

On March 26, R.O.X. Ayala Center Cebu will be launched in a program that will have Tourism Secretary Ace Durano as special guest. Among the highlights of the launching is an R.O.X. outdoor wear fashion show.

The clinic is sponsored by Newton Running, Runnr Academy and Ayala Center Cebu.

Macasieb is an exercise physiologist and holds a masters degree on exercise sciences from the Montclair State University. He was the Philippine National Triathlon chapion in 2001, 2005 and 2006. He is also a 6-time Ironman finisher.

The topics in the seminar include:

• Common running errors among recreational runners
• Attributes of elite runners
• Running posture
• Running tools, drills and skills
• Formula for speed

Nicole Limon, Toby’s Sports and Runnr marketing supervisor, said the clinic will be held in two days: March 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and March 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

In an interview with Cebu journalists and bloggers last year, Runnr founder Toby Claudio said running is an advocacy for his company and he wants to encourage more people to take up the sport. Claudio also said he would be scheduling clinics to guide runners on such things as improving their form and technique and staying away from injuries.

Quota International-Cebu South will be staging a 12-kilometer and 6-kilometer race on March 7 at The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu. (Interactive race map available at the end of this article.)

Club president June Chiongbian said it is the first time that the club is sponsoring a race. She said that with people now more conscious about their wellness, “it is appropriate that we’re doing a fun run.”

QUOTA RUN. (From right) Melva Bacaltos, Quota International-Cebu South president June Chiongbian, race director Raffy Uytiepo, Quota vice president and fun run project chair person Humility Igaña talk to reporters about the group’s fun run on March 7. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IMAGE.

The race will be directed by veteran organizer and runner Raffy Uytiepo.

The registration fee for the race is P200, which is inclusive of a singlet. Those who want to join the race can register at the PSC office in the Cebu City Sports Center, Runnr in Ayala Center Cebu,

Uytiepo said they expected from 500 to 1,000 runners to join the charity run.

Dr. Humility Igaña, Quota vice president and project chairperson of the fun run, said cash prizes and medals will be given to winners.

The winners in both the male and female divisions of the 6K race will get: 1st place, P3,000; 2nd place, P2,000; and 3rd place, P1,000.

In the 12K race, the winners will get: 1st place, P6,000; 2nd place, P4,000; 3rd place, P2,000.

Those who will finish in the top 10 will get medals.

Uytiepo said that various running clubs and personalities have confirmed their participation in the run this early.

Igaña said that if the run is successful, they will hold it yearly.

Here’s an interactive map of the race route. Be sure to check back because it will still be finalized:

Jakosalem and officials of Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC), which is organizing the Cebu City Marathon 2010, said they decided to close the road to ensure the safety of runners.

RUNNERS’ SAFETY. Organizers Meyrick Jacalan and John Pages of the Cebu Executive Runners Club and Cebu City Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem discuss the closure of the entire SRP route and half of the Cebu City roads that are part of the marathon route on Jan. 10, 2010. Organizers said they pushed for the closure of part of the road to ensure safety of runners. (Photo by Max Limpag)

John Pages of CERC said that although there are runs every Sunday in Cebu, roads aren’t closed and runners have to contend with at times impatient drivers angered by the traffic jam. (On a side note, I actually punched the side of a jeepney that cut me off in Mandaue City during the Rock and Run, not to be recommended, believe me.)

In other developments announced in yesterday’s press conference at the City Sports Club:

• Ayala Center Cebu has confirmed that a pre-race pasta party will be held on Jan. 8 at The Terraces. Ayala Center Cebu division head Joy Polloso said there will be free food for the first 500 runners.Polloso also said they are working with Ayala Center Cebu merchants, especially those in Active Zone, to offer registered runners discounts during the marathon expo, which will be held the week before the marathon.
• Timex will be giving free watches to the top three finishers of each division, said coach Rio de la Cruz, a Timex endorser and race director of FinishLine, which will be deploying the ChampionChip that will be used to time 21K and 42 runners of the Cebu City Marathon.
• De la Cruz said the use of RFID transponder chips will allow organizers to publish race results a few hours after the event. Pages said the results will then be uploaded to the Cebu City Marathon website.
• Globe Telecom’s Jerry Yntig also pledged to provide phones to the winners of the different categories.
• Holiday Gym and Spa will be deploying masseurs to give free massages to 21K and 42K runners after the race.
• Perl Jacalan, also of CERC, said race packs will be distributed on Jan. 6-8. She said only out-of-town runners will be allowed to claim their race packs on Jan. 9.

COACH RIO. Rio de la Cruz holds a sample of the RFID chip that will be used to time runners of the 21K and 42K races in the Cebu City Marathon. De la Cruz said the finishing times and ranking of runners will be available hours after the marathon is finished. (Photo by Max Limpag)

Jakosalem assured runners that their safety is on top of the concerns of authorities. He said they will be deploying a large number of traffic enforcers. Pages said active CERC members have been assigned to oversee a 1.5-kilometer stretch and recruit people to help man it. He said they were told to come up with ways to motivate runners like playing music or getting a band.

Organizer Meyric Jacalan, of CERC, also said that he hopes that in the coming years, the Cebu City Marathon will become an institution and people will come out to watch and participate, in the same way that residents of cities abroad do during their own marathons.

Jakosalem said that Cebu City is planning to organize more runs, depending on the success of the Jan. 10 event. In a brief talk after the press conference, he said Oct. 10, 2010 or 10-10-10 falls on a Sunday and might be a good date to host another marathon.

The opening has been widely anticipated by Cebu runners. RUNNR stands out among sports shops because of its Footworx, an integrated system that helps runners pick the correct shoe for their foot-type and gait.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. A customer undergoes gait analysis through RUNNR Cebu’s Footworx system. The running specialty store finally opened its Cebu branch in Ayala Center Cebu last Saturday.(PHOTO BY MAX LIMPAG)

The system has three components: 1.) Footdisc Analysis System, which uses thermodynamics to determine foot types; 2.) high-speed video gait analysis where customers are made to run on a treadmill while a camera captures the way they run to check for their pronation angle; and 3.) Flashfit custom insole molding process that creates customized insoles while the customer waits.

I underwent testing by the Footworx system and found that I over-pronate and would therefore need Stability shoes.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. RUNNR Cebu sells items that were previously unavailable or hard to find in Cebu City.

RUNNR Cebu sells items that were previously unavailable or hard to find in Cebu City. The store sells Hammer power gels and bars Sport Beans. It also sells Fuel Belt and Nathan hydration packs.

The store also sells its own line of running socks, which are the best pair of socks that I’ve used while running. The store also sells Polar watches and heartbeat monitors.

RUNNR Cebu also has a good selection of running shoes and apparel. A prominent part of the store displays Newton Running Shoes, which are specially engineered for running. Toby Claudio, RUNNR founder, told Cebu journalists and bloggers in a recent briefing that he only runs in Newton shoes.

The clinic falls on the week that specialty running store RUNNR is scheduled to open at the Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu. (Update: RUNNR said it is targeting to open its Cebu branch today, Nov. 28.)

As with the two earlier marathon clinics, the clinic on Dec. 5 is open to the public for free, said CERC’s John Pages.

RUNNING CLINIC. Cebu Executive Runners Club president Jesses Taborada asks a question during the open forum of the 2nd marathon clinic for the Cebu City Marathon.

For the clinic, RUNNR will be flying to Cebu two coaches from Manila—Jim Saret and Julius Giron.

Saret will be talking about running and training techniques and the preparations necessary to take up running as a sport. He will also provide tips for different levels of runners—those still starting out, beginners, advanced runners and marathoners.

Saret will also talk about how to determine readiness and know when to move from 3K to 5K to 10K to 21K and 42K.

Giron, on the other hand, will talk about benefits of using a heart rate monitor, compression wear and forefoot/mid-foot running.

But he later found out that with the proper form and correct pair of shoes, he could run despite his bad back and knee injury. Now, the eponymous eldest son of Toby’s Sports founder Roberto Claudio, Sr. regularly runs and has even finished the half-marathon. He’s still planning to run his first full marathon and is considering doing it during the Cebu City Marathon on Jan. 10, 2010.

ONLY IN A NEWTON. Toby Claudio explains to Cebu bloggers and reporters what sets a pair of Newton Running Shoes apart from those of other brands. Claudio, who runs only in Newtons, is the founder of the running specialty store RUNNR, which will open in Cebu in the first week of December. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTO BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

“Running is not as easy as it looks. It’s hard on the body,” Claudio said in a briefing last Saturday for Cebu journalists and bloggers on the opening in the city of his running specialty store RUNNR.

From “zero running,” Claudio said he was able to regularly run relatively injury-free after learning the proper running form, particularly ChiRunning, and wearing correct shoes.

“Many still use improper footwear for running. That and the lack of proper technique can cause pains. Then they stop,” Claudio said. “The solution is to get the right shoes. Choosing the wrong shoes can cause a lot of problems.”

Problems caused by wearing the wrong type of shoes are something RUNNR can help people avoid.

The store is known for its Footworx, an integrated system that helps people pick the right pair of shoes based on their foot type and the way they run.

The system consists of the Footdisc Analysis System to determine foot type. After that, the customer is then made to run on a treadmill for a high speed video gait analysis. Using a camera, the system checks the customer’s pronation angle as he or she runs. The customer can then compare different pairs of shoes to find out which works best for him or her. After that, the store can then craft a custom insole using its “Flashfit” molding process while the customer waits.

Claudio said RUNNR’s custom insoles, which are really custom-made and not like the generic orthotics being sold elsewhere, costs between P3,000 to P4,000. And if the insoles start to get out of shape, they can be re-flashed in the store for free.

STORE EXPERIENCE. RUNNR founder Toby Claudio says that apart from offering top-of-the-line brands, RUNNR offers a total store experience that inspires people to run and educates them on the sport. RUNNR Cebu will have information kiosks and the distinct environmental panoramic graphics that dominate the RUNNR store on Bonifacio High Street. CLICK TO ENLARGE. (RUNNR FOTO)

“These customized services ensure that whatever one’s requirements as a runner, the shoes and optional insoles minimize foot instability for better shock absorption, and minimize fatigue while reducing the chances of injury,” the company said in a statement.

Claudio said the gait analysis system will be offered to customers for free.

“It will always be for free but we’ll be setting up a queuing system especially for busy days,” he said.

To discourage the practice of groups of people deciding to have their gaits analyzed just because one member of their group had it done, Claudio said they might require token purchases like buying socks for those who won’t buy shoes in busy days.

Claudio said that when he went to New York City, the world’s running mecca, he checked out running stores and found a few that had treadmills on which customers can run to test out their shoes. He said he found at least three with video gait analysis systems but none with the advanced software that RUNNR uses. He said no store offered the integrated system that RUNNR offers its customers.

Claudio said RUNNR had the gait analysis system custom-made in Germany for running. Using the system, RUNNR employees can determine which pair of shoes works best for a certain customer.

He said his company’s goal is to train its workers to a point that by merely looking at a customer take three steps into the store, he or she would know the shoe type for that person.

Claudio said that they decided to open their second RUNNR store in Cebu because they see it as an underserved market.

“Every major city in the world has a running store. Cebu is a major city,” he said.

RUNNR Cebu will open in the Active Zone of Ayala Center Cebu in the first week of December.

He said RUNNR offers more than just a good lineup of products but a total store experience. He said a distinguishing design element of the store are panoramic environmental graphics that inspire people to run.

RUNNR will carry premier brands including Adidas, Asics, Fuelbelt, Hammer, Nathan, New Balance, Nike, Polar, Newton Running Shoes, and CW-X compression apparel.

Apart from these, RUNNR also sells books and educational materials on running. It will also have information kiosks to guide people on running.

“RUNNR will have everything that you need to enjoy running to the fullest,” Claudio said.

But when asked by broadcaster, lawyer and runner Haide Acuña what he would recommend to someone who has never run and who finds his or her way into the store, Claudio said, “I won’t even recommend that they buy a pair of shoes. Buy a good running book.”

RUNNR BRIEFING. Toby Claudio with (from second from left) The Freeman columnist Raffy Osumo, Marlen Limpag and Max Limpag of Sun.Star and CebuRunning, Dr. Raymund “Reel” Bontol, and Haide Acuña, the Marathon Foodie.

More than just a market, running is an advocacy for his company, Claudio said.

“Some people still have not discovered the joys of running,” he said. They plan to spread running through regular clinics in the store. He said RUNNR is looking for a local running coach who can be tapped for the store and for the clinics.

He said the mission of RUNNR is to get people into the sport and to help those who are already in it.
Claudio, who runs only in Newton Running Shoes, stressed the importance of the local government supporting the sport as a way to improve tourism.

“When you run, you realize how much you are capable of,” Claudio said.

He said he uses running to de-stress and “when I have a bad day, I really need to run.”