As doctors, we should set good examples on being healthy: Dr. Eleanor Casquejo

“Run with me” was Kenneth Casquejo’s wish for his wife in one of the marriage encounter seminars the couple attended.

And with that, Dr. Eleanor “Tata” Casquejo laced up and started running. When before she couldn’t understand why her husband woke up at such ungodly hours to hit the road, now she was plotting her own training program.

“I told myself that there must be something in this sport that he’s so passionate about,” Eleanor told a group of runners last Friday night. Kenneth started running in college and, after years away from the sport, took it up with such passion that he wears a shirt saying he eats asphalt for breakfast.

DR. ELEANOR CASQUEJO talks on the reasons she run in last week’s Friday Night Run with the ungo runners of CebuRunning.com. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (SUN.STAR CEBU PHOTO BY ALEX BADAYOS used with permission)

“As doctors, we should set good examples for our patients on being healthy,” said Eleanor, an obstetrician and gynecologist.

She first ran in the fun run organized by the Lions Club Lakandula last year.

“I’m a slow runner,” she said. She said it was discouraging to hear race marshals say, “Here comes the last runner” whenever she passes by and then see them pack up the road signs and other race materials.

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Ungo runners to hold first Sunday long run

In last night’s weekly Friday Night Run, the ungo runners of CebuRunning decided to hold its first ever long slow distance (LSD) group run tomorrow passing the three bridges of Metro Cebu: the old Mactan-Mandaue Bridge, Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge and the newly-opened Cansaga Bay Bridge.

As with regular ungo runs, there are two distances, to accommodate newbies who are still not able to cover the distance of the main route. These are 30K and 12K (but with option to extend a few more kilometers for the latter). Interactive map available at the end of this article.

MACTAN BRIDGE. Tomorrow, ungo runners will run the 3 bridges in Metro Cebu including the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge (above). (CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE FLICKR PAGE OF STORM CRYPT)

The 30K group will be led by Kenneth Casquejo and will start from the Capitol at exactly 4 a.m. They will head to Mandaue City and the 3 bridges through Escario St., Archbishop Reyes Ave. then to A.S. Fortuna St. If you’re late, try catching up with them at those locations.

The 30K group will end its run at the Asiatown IT Park. If you’re driving, it’s best that you park there.

The 12K group will be led by ungo runners and Sun.Star Running Club muse Mitch So, the Sun.Star Cebu executive editor and Sun.Star Superbalita editor in chief, and company. The assembly area is at the Shell gasoline station on A.C. Cortes Ave., near the University of Cebu campus. We will start and end at the Shell station. Assembly time is at 4:30 a.m.

The 30K group will rendezvous with the 12K group at the Shell station.

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Close Osmeña Blvd. early morning Sundays

It was serial marathoner Joel Garganera who first raised the proposal. In the middle of one of the weekly Friday night runs that start from the Sun.Star Cebu office, he talked about the need for Cebu City Hall to make the city’s streets friendlier to runners.

Garganera pointed out that not only are Cebu City streets not friendly to runners, they are also generally not safe for children. Look, we don’t even have sidewalks, he gesticulated while running sideways.

KAPAMILYA RUNNERS ON THE ROAD. Close to 2,000 runners joined last Sunday’s 10th dyAB KApamilya Run. Above, the runners occupy one lane of Gorordo Ave. near the UP Cebu College. (PHOTO BY TEDDY ESPINUEVA)

At the end of the run, he proposed a novel idea to get more people off their couches and running on the street: close Osmeña Blvd. for a few hours every Sunday and limit it to walkers, joggers, runners and bikers.

Garganera had wanted to pursue it as part of his political agenda in his failed City Council bid.

During the post-run breakfast in last Sunday’s Kapamilya Run, Garganera raised the idea again and got the support of ultra-runner Bro. Carlo Bacalla. But Garganera was preaching to the converted. What is needed is for the converted to start preaching to those in power.

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10TH DYAB Kapamilya Run interactive virtual race route now out; registration still open

If you still haven’t registered for the 10th DYAB Kapamilya Run, you can still sign up on site even up to early morning of race day. But instead of the regular registration fee of P250, you will now have to pay a late registration fee of P300 and you will get a free-sized singlet.

Radio station DYAB, the local AM station of broadcasting giant ABS-CBN, is celebrating its 15th year by staging various events, including the 10th edition of its Kapamilya Run. The fun run will have a 1.6K walk, and a 7K and 15K run. The longest distance is 15K in reference to DYAB’s 15th year anniversary.

RACE PACK. My race pack for tomorrow’s Kapamilya Run. If you still haven’t registered, you still have time. Organizers are accepting late registrants until the morning of the run. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Race organizer Kenneth Casquejo, of RunCheck, said the actual distance is 15.15K but the .15K falls within the margin of error in GPS reception as well as slight variations in the route so not all will get that actual precise distance.

DYAB’s Leo Lastimosa said in his radio program that proceeds of the fun run will be used to help fix school buildings that are badly in need of repair.

Assembly time of the run is at 4:45 a.m while gun time is at 5:30 a.m.

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SRP Sundown Run interactive virtual race map now out

The Cebu City Government is launching the South Road Properties (SRP) with a week-long activity that will culminate tomorrow, May 8, with a fun run and an attempt to break the world record for the number of rockets fired in a fireworks display.

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.

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