“We have decided to forget everything. For those who threatened to boycott (the Aboitiz Run), it is their right to join or not. I am closing the issue already,” Uytiepo told Sun.Star Cebu.

Two organizers also clarified that they are not implementing a ban on runners.

“Raffy is entitled to his own opinion but he can’t threaten to reject any runner to join our event because firstly, he is not part of the organizing team of Milo. Precing (Capampangan) is,” said Milo Marathon local organizer Ricky Ballesteros.

Ballesteros is the organizer of both the Milo Marathon in October and The Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. (DSOS) Run on Sept. 9.

Raffy said in his column in The Freeman last Monday that his team, including technical lead Precing Capampangan, will reject those who threatened to boycott the Aboitiz run next year from all their races.

Capampangan has been handling the technical aspect of the Milo Marathon since 2002.

“I have worked with Capampangan since 2002 and we haven’t encountered any problems with him and his group and they are in the technical aspect, not in accepting the registration,” said Ballesteros.

Warrior 50K organizer Jonel Mendoza also said he will not ban anyone from his races.
Uytiepo is the race director of Mendoza’s ultra-marathon, a post he served in the first two ultramarathons in Cebu.

“I won’t ban runners from my event. I don’t see any reason why I should ban runners who are voicing legitimate views,” Mendoza was quoted as saying by Sun.Star Cebu.

“Although it’s a person’s right to join or not, I really don’t care. In fact we have noted the names and will see to it that we will reject their entry forms next time around,” Uytiepo wrote in his column in The Freeman.

“We will remember the names of these guys who called for boycott. You might not even get to run in the other big races we will officiate.” He then listed the races he is organizing, including upcoming ultra-marathons The Warrior 50K Ultramarathon on Sept. 10 and the first ever 100-kilometer run in Cebu on Nov. 18.

It’s quite a turn of events from last week’s apology and pledge to do better next year by Sebastian Lacson, the chief reputation officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

I disagree with Raffy’s response and hope he changes his mind, for the benefit of the local running community—a community he helped start and where he is one of the pillars.

That there were problems during the race is no longer a question, with organizers already admitting it and pledging to improve next year. What is important is to look into how the local running community can move on from the debacle.

I don’t think banning runners is the best way to move on and deal with the issue. I also don’t think people can blame runners who felt bad after the race and expressed their disappointment in online social networks, among friends and with the media.

Instead of banning them, I think it would be best for organizers to engage with and listen to them. Some of the most vocal critics of races are also among the most passionate advocates of the sport.

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.

Uytiepo was in the Sun.Star office when the person called up to say that he was in Casa Ilongga, which is owned by the race organizer, to return his plate.

Is everything okay, then?

Apparently not. Apart from apologizing and returning his plate, the cheat also raised during his conversation with Raffy the question why Haide Acuña and I are the ones who are vocal on the issue when we’re not organizers of the race.

It makes you wonder whether he was sorry for cheating or for the fact that he was caught cheating. By the tone of his statement, as Raffy conveyed it, I felt that he thought Haide and I were blowing up the issue. I think he and his friends felt we should have kept silent.

Show remorse

He had more than a week before I wrote my column to show remorse, apologize to the organizers and return his plate. He did not. Until the day before my column was published, I was asking people for updates on the case and only decided to write about it when I was convinced no apology was forthcoming.

Apart from the ultra-cheat, one other runner returned his plate after reading my column because he rode a habal-habal for a few meters after suffering cramps on both legs during the ultra. He was quicker to apologize than the subject of my column.

I don’t think Haide and I are blowing up the issue. We would have been remiss in our responsibilities as running columnists had we kept silent despite knowing all about it.

It was only recently that I knew of the full extent of reports of cheating during the ultra. I was shocked to learn about accusations against certain prominent runners. But all these are just that, accusation, and they are still being looked into by organizers.

Serious issue

Cheating is a serious issue that impacts the whole running community.

Acuña rightly points out that due to the logistics involved in an ultra-marathon, organizers are unable to keep watch on every meter of the entire race route. Organizers depend on the honor system that exists in the community.

That system was breached by some misguided runners last Nov. 27—runners who wanted the bragging rights to being ultra-marathoners but were unwilling to push themselves to run 50 plus kilometers.

It is our responsibility as runners to make sure that honor system—the bulwark of integrity in our sport—is kept intact. If someone in your group cheats, it is your responsibility to tell him to stop and to inform the organizer.

There shouldn’t be a code of silence among runners when it comes to cheating. By doing nothing, you are as responsible as the cheat.

He finished within the cutoff time and upon reaching Capitol, made a show of being tired. Like he actually ran 50 kilometers.

I first learned of it when I overheard the runner’s teammates talk among themselves about how the person rode a habal-habal.

I have since confirmed it with a source I trust, who also got confirmation from several people. I have also gotten reports from other people who saw a runner ride a vehicle in the route.

FINISH LINE AT THE CAPITOL. Frontrunner staff members prepare the finish line of the 1st Cebu Ultramarathon at the Capitol in Cebu City. (PHOTO BY JAMES GO)

I cannot understand a person who would cheat in a road race, much more an ultra-marathon. It’s not as if we get a prize for finishing it. All we got at the finish line in Capitol was a commemorative plate, T-shirt and a food pack. The run—the entire 50 kilometers—itself was the reward.

Insulting running community

What the cheat did insulted the running community. He actually finished earlier than Brian Padilla, an Ungo Runner who was on the verge of giving up but decided to continue because he left his emergency money with one of the support vehicles.

Padilla ran-walked to the finish line expecting to see it abandoned and planning to just scream in relief and have his photo taken at the 0KM marker. Instead, he found fellow runners waiting for him, runners who pleaded with the organizers to keep the finish line tarpaulin and to give him a finisher’s plate.

What the cheat did insulted Jonel Mendoza, the hardcore runner who publishes Frontrunner magazine and who took the risk of organizing an ultra-marathon in Cebu. What the cheat did insulted marathon man Raffy Uytiepo, who was the race organizer. What the cheat did insulted Joel Juarez, who looked frightfully in pain when he collapsed in a heat stroke but still managed to finish after a short rest.

What the cheat did puts into question all his previous races, including marathons here and abroad. If he could cheat in one, he could cheat in all.

Challenge

I still haven’t given Jonel the cheat’s name, opting to give him a few more days to redeem himself. To the ultra-cheat, please do the right thing:

1. Call up Jonel Mendoza to apologize. He may not understand you and would likely tell you “lugi ka, nagbayad ka ng 50K pero kulang yung tinakbo mo (it’s your loss. You paid for 50K and yet you ran a shorter distance)” but pray he would forgive you.

2. Return your plate and T-shirt. You do not deserve it. Leave it at the backdoor guard of Sun.Star Cebu and I’ll have it sent to Jonel.

3. Do not sign up for future ultra-running events. If you sign up for the May 1 ultramarathon in Cebu, I will propose to Jonel that we increase registration by P20 (we will name the fee after you) to pay for a race marshal to follow you the entire route. I will ask that the race marshal be made to wear a neon orange shirt to make sure he is easily visible.

If you feel smug thinking that you fooled the entire running community, you are only fooling yourself.

What good are speed and endurance if you do not have integrity? What good are your marathon medals? “It is character,” said Stephen Covey, “that communicates more eloquently.”

JERRY ALMOST BEATS ATAN. Among those who ran the Quezon City International Marathon last Sunday were Joel Garganera, Ian Baguio, Allan Delantar and Atan, Jeson and Jerry Guardo. Serial marathoner Garganera completed the 42K as recovery run for the grueling Cebu ultra-marathon. An animated Garganera described how Jerry was on the verge of beating Atan and was already formulating a Facebook status update when a late surge by the former congressional candidate left him eating Atan’s dust.

Alvirg Busa finished the race in a blistering 3:20. Cebu’s running queen, Mary Grace delos Santos, on the other hand, decided to save her strength for this Sunday’s Milo National Finals.

JOY POLLOSO FINISHES FIRST MARATHON. In Singapore, Ayala Center Cebu division head Joy Polloso, a hardcore Ungo Runner, finished her first full marathon “barefoot.” She ran 42 kilometers in Vivo Barefoot, a shoe line that mimics barefoot running. Joy is running yet another full marathon on Jan. 9, the 2011 Cebu City Marathon.

Among those who also finished the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon were Kenneth Toledo and Ungo Runner Jorge “Dindz” Bartolabac, who ran his first full marathon in 4 hours and 57 minutes.

The elevation data gathered by GPS watches participants used during the race looks like a linear representation of a mountain range. We were, after all, running on the mountains. At the start, the elevation was 971 meters, at the finish line it was a mere 30 meters.

Those that practiced running the route earlier knew that unless you were among the elite runners and in top physical condition, you shouldn’t try running the very steep C Highway in Barangay Cansumoroy.

CRAMPS. Dr. Willie Estepa falls after suffering leg cramps near the Ungo aid station in Barangay Busay. Fellow Ungo Runners Michelle So, Sun.Star executive editor, and Federico Garganera rush to his aid. CLICK TO ENLARGE (PHOTO BY ALLAN DEFENSOR OF SUN.STAR CEBU)

The race started with a short ceremony at about 5:30 a.m. near the bust of former president Ramon Magsaysay on Mt. Manunggal. Frontrunner publisher Jonel Mendoza, race organizer Raffy Uytiepo, Balamban Councilor Dave Karamihan and Philippine ultrarunning icon Jovie “Bald Runner” Narcise gave short talks before the 180 plus runners assembled near the cottage about 200 meters away for the start of the race.

At gun start, the elite runners darted off like they were running a mere 10K. The rest of us mortals stayed behind, enjoying the fantastic view in Manunggal.

Oath of office

I ran with serial marathoner Joel Garganera, who was legally bound to finish the race—the Tinago barangay councilor had arranged to take his oath of office before runner Judge Ester Veloso at the finish line in Capitol. Days before the ultra-marathon, he said he told Judge Veloso to be there from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. I told him it was a contempt order waiting to happen. He later said he texted Judge Veloso to be there later.

At several points of the race we ran with Jonel Mendoza, Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino manager Hembler Mendoza, Be Resorts Mactan general manager Garry Garcia, ultra-marathoner Haide Acuña, former congressional candidate Atan Guardo, Jeson Guardo and Ironwoman Annie Neric.

Cebu Executive Runners Club president Jesse Taborada and speedy Steve Ferraren passed us by but we were able to run at certain points with Dr. Vic Verallo, Roy and Dr. Rosan Trani and Joel Juarez, who survived a heat stroke to finish the distance.

I kept an eye out for running couple Nemesio and Tessie Escasiñas but they were too fast, finishing way ahead. Their fellow Take It Easy Runners (TIER) Club member Manolito Yu also finished with a good time despite cramping. TIER member Richard Lua also completed the ultra-marathon.

I warned Garganera of the potential backlash of his PR stunt if he finished later than 8 hours—he could find a hungry judge about to cite him in contempt for making her wait for hours at the finish line.

But not even cramps and his frequent outbursts of “binuang man ni! (This is crazy)” to our collective laughter would stop Garganera from taking his oath of office at the finish line.

Strong bond

STRONG BOND. Nothing binds people together stronger than the collective conquest of a tough challenge. It is to the immense pride of our running group, the Ungo Runners, that all our members who joined the grueling race finished it.

Daryl Igot, as expected, finished first with a time of 6 hours and 25 minutes, winning a gift certiciate donated by Garry Garcia for an overnight stay at Be Resorts Mactan plus a spa massage. He was followed by Marben Golez, Dr. Willie Estepa (who finished strong despite being wracked by cramps in Busay), Gabby Lariosa, William Jatulan, Tito Vildosola, Dan Morales, Vard Atuel, Eric Agaton, Garganera, Cadjing Pelicano, Rico Dale Petallar, Christian Cullen, Bennet Silario, Victor Chan, Twinkle Ignacio and Dr. Alex Junia.

Ungo Runners Marco Albeza and Brian Padilla arrived at the finish line after the official cutoff but were recognized as finishers.

Ervin Limpag also finished strong. Ervin and I still haven’t traced our lineage to see whether we are related by blood but we are ultra-running brothers and that’s that. Our group spent the eve of the race on Mt. Manunggal with Dr. Abe Manlawe and his team and many of us were unable to sleep, our minds racing even as our bodies lay still.

Dr. Joel Pascual, who took photos last Saturday, commented how festive the Transcentral Highway was during the run. True.

It truly was a fun run, a large part because of the excellent support of members of the Ungo Runners, who not only helped group members but also other runners. The Ungo aid stations did not discriminate—handing out ice cold water, energy drinks, bananas and even tasty cookies as well as offering sponges soaked in ice-cold water and liniment to all runners, and not just its members.

Out-of-town runners expressed gratitude for the hospitality and support, with one saying that without the Ungo aid stations, he couldn’t have completed the race.

WHAT’S NEXT? With the success of the first ultra-marathon in Cebu, Jonel is now planning the next one, which will be held this May 1. The race would likely be 60-plus kilometers. It will also be in preparation for the first 100-kilometer foot race in Cebu.

Here’s a listing of the finishers of the race:

“It is already accepted worldwide, even by the International Association of Marathons; they also accepted that they can use marathon as their ‘lingo’ if it goes beyond 21K and there is a 25K marathon,” International Pharmaceuticals Inc. advertising manager Tito Dela Merced was quoted as saying in a Sun.Star Cebu report on Saturday.

The debate on the use of the term might be getting tiresome but it is necessary. Standards are important for any sport. They are the foundation for records on which we gauge performances. A key component of any set of standards is the correct usage of technical terms.

I think the improper use of the word marathon can affect Cebu’s reputation as a sports, specifically running, hub.

Ultramarathoner Jonel Mendoza, publisher of Frontrunner magazine, says “‘marathon,’ as a word, should be used properly. This is to give due recognition to the true marathoner’s efforts and sacrifices that he gives and takes during the course of his training for the event. Just think, early morning or after-work runs, rain or shine sometimes and all the pain, blisters, missed dates, highs and lows that go with marathon training.”

When I say Jonel is an ultra-marathoner, I don’t just mean that he has run more than 25K. He has run 102 kilometers. He’s a true “ultra-marathoner,” in the correct usage of the term.

The word “marathon” has multiple meanings. The unabridged “Webster’s Third New International Dictionary” describes it as, among other things, “a long distance race” and qualifies it as “a footrace run on an open course of now usually 26 miles and 385 yards.” It also describes marathon to be “an activity that tests or demonstrates the stamina or endurance power of the performer.”

To watch DVDs from evening until dawn is to do a “movie or TV marathon.” To read a book in one go is to do a “marathon reading.” To make love to your wife for an hour is, for some, a sort of marathon (but for Sting, that’s just a dash). When it’s not a technical term, we can be liberal in its usage.

But when used in the context of a race, the marathon becomes a technical term with a very specific meaning – a foot race that is 42.195 kilometers long.

Marathoner and long-time race organizer Raffy Uytiepo, who has been running since Elvis Presley was still alive, says that when used in the context of a road race, the word “marathon” specifically refers to a 42.195-kilometer race. Uytiepo, who has directed more than 250 races since 1986, also clarified that organizers only use the word “international” to describe a race with at least five runners with world-class marathon times of 2:20.

A 25K marathon, in the context of its usage by PIM organizers, is an oxymoron akin to “monthly anniversary.” Young people’s outlook on relationships is such that a year may be asking too much that they mark the time they are together by the month. At least most young people grasp the contradiction in the phrase that they formulated a new term—monthsary.

In Friday night’s press conference, Merced and race director Joe Deresas showed reporters a certification by Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) president Go Teng Kok to support their usage of the word marathon in their “international” race.

That was rather disingenuous. The certification merely said “This is to certify that the 25KM road races for men and women is a standard distance as per IAAF Rule 240 paragraph 1.” Nobody is questioning 25K as a valid race distance. But nowhere in the certification does Go Teng Kok say 25K “is a marathon.”

I went through the listing of marathons accredited by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (Aims) and nowhere does it list a shorter marathon. But Aims does certify shorter “road races” like the Big 25 in Berlin, a 25-kilometer race. Again, note the absence of the word “marathon” in the name of the race.

Yes, people use the word marathon to describe a 21-kilometer race. But it comes with a modifier—a 21K race is a “half-marathon.” In the same usage, a 25K race is a .592 marathon. But that’s not marketable, is it? Well, let’s just retain their acronym, PIM for Pilipinas Indi (Ilonggo for “not”) Marathon.

Uytiepo said the the original Pilipinas International Marathon in the early 1990s was an actual marathon with an international field. In an effort to lend their event some pizzazz, PIM organizers played loose with definitions. What’s next? Organizing a New York Marathon, a 25K race that will start and end on New York St. in Cubao or a Boston Marathon from Boston St. a few blocks away?

I can’t understand the organizer’s insistence on using the “international marathon” phrase. The website address is a good race name—Pilipinas 25K.

Veteran runner Raffy Uytiepo sent me a text message last Wednesday to ask whether I would like to join organizers Noy Jopson and Hembler Mendoza run the route they were considering for The Great Lapu-Lapu Run on April 18.

WITH NOY JOPSON. Running with Noy Jopson and Hembler Mendoza (left) to map out the route of The Great Lapu-Lapu Run. (FOTO BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

As soon as I read the words join, Noy Jopson and run, I immediately hit the phone’s reply button and said “YES!!!! What time?”

Several minutes later, I realized the full implication of the invitation.

Noy Jopson is The Ironman. He is the Philippine 70.3 Ironman Champion. He has three national triathlon titles. He won the Asian Cup Junior trophy in 1995, the bronze and silver medals at the Asian Championships and the Philippine Enduraman. I’m an overweight journalist barely a year into running. It was like Ronaldinho deciding to play pickup 1-on-1 football with an elementary school kid.

I immediately texted Raffy to ask about the pace, telling him I might pass out trying to keep up with Noy. He texted back, “slow lang. Walang iwanan.”

We met at the Liberty Shrine in Barangay Mactan at daybreak the next day. Noy is easy to pick out in a group, especially among grouchy early-morning runners, because the first thing you see him do is smile. For an elite athlete, he is down to earth. He’s “just like your boy next door,” said Annie Neric, Holiday Gym & Spa fitness program director.

“He has accomplished a lot but is still down to earth…He can be very unassuming,” Neric said in an e-mail.

The two hours and 15 minutes that Hembler and I ran with Noy Jopson last Thursday were among the best two hours on the road I’ve ever had. While running, we kept on discussing The Great Lapu-Lapu Run route. Noy commented on my and Hembler’s running forms. We talked about running equipment—from shoes to GPS watches to a Timex watch he was beta-testing. He talked about chia seeds, which was mentioned in the seminal running book “Born to Run.”

Noy Jopson’s enthusiasm is infectious. We were set to run directly to the Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan, where Mendoza is the general manager, but ended up running the Marcelo Fernan Bridge not once, but twice, and going down to the park under the bridge in the Mandaue side.

Noy Jopson is a great athlete not just because he is a bio-mechanically efficient human being. Noy Jopson is a great athlete because he is such a wonderful person who is also bio-mechanically efficient. He has no airs about him.

Four years ago, when Annie Neric was still new in Cebu, she attended a spinning class, an aerobic exercise on a stationary bike, conducted by Noy at the Holiday Gym & Spa. When Noy knew she was from Manila, he got excited to know that she was a kababayan and kept on talking and interviewing her while holding the class. When she told him she was also a spinning instructress, she ended up leading the cooldown for the class.

“After his class, he introduced me to the manager of Holiday Gym and the week after, I became one of the spinning instructors of the gym and got myself a job in less than two weeks here in Cebu,” Neric said.

Noy would later introduce Neric to triathlon.

“I remember how he would go back for me after he finishes his race. I was still in the course since I was a new runner then. He would shout at me that I could go faster even when he knew that I was already struggling. Noy is like that because he knows that you could do it. He motivates and challenges you at the same time,” Annie said.

When we were in the final meters to Waterfront last Thursday, Noy playfully pushed Hembler, who wasn’t feeling well, at a pace I couldn’t sustain for long even in an actual race. But all three of us finished together, sprinting to Waterfront in time for a group photo.

We spent two great hours running about 19 kilometers last Thursday. With Noy around, I felt we could have run a full marathon.

But a sumptuous buffet breakfast was waiting for us at the Waterfront.

With Noy Jopson, Superman.

The race is organized by the Lapu-Lapu City Government and the Lapu Lapu City Tourism Cultural and Historical Commission.

This year’s edition of the race is being organized by elite triathlete Noy Jopson and veteran runner and race director Raffy Uytiepo.

GREAT LAPU-LAPU RUN. The Great Lapu-Lapu Run will be using RFID chips to time runners of its 21K and 10K races. The website printed above, however, is still not live.

Jopson told CebuRunning that the race will start and finish at the Mactan Shrine in Barangay Punta Engaño. He said they will be using RFID chips that will be deployed by Finishline of renowned runner and coach Rio dela Cruz. Finishline also deployed the timing chips during the Cebu City Marathon last Jan. 10.

The Cebu City Marathon was the first time that timing chips or RFID (radio frequency identification) chips were used to time runners in Visayas and Mindanao. The chips, which are attached to runners’ shoes, activate once these pass special mats placed on the race course. They provide not only the finishing time of the runners but also their split times.

The chips provide organizers quick and accurate finishing times of runners.

Uytiepo said that Hembler Mendoza, Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino general manager, is considering collecting P450 as registration fee. Uytiepo said, however, that it is still being finalized.

Jopson said they are still finalizing the race routes but there is a “big chance” it will include the iconic Mactan-Mandaue Bridge. (Make sure to keep checking this site because we will be putting up an interactive virtual map of the route once it is finalized.)

Jopson and Uytiepo also confirmed that the top male and female runners in the Great Lapu-Lapu Run will be sent to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.

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: