The organizers—Cebu Executive Runners Club, Cebu City and Asap Advertising Services and Promotions, Inc.—are also aiming to have the route certified by the Association of International Marathons (Aims) by 2013 to attract more foreign and elite marathoners.

“Being certified can be a big boost to our city, as we will be put on Aims calendar and our race will get a chance to become one of the qualifying races for Boston.

However, we need the support from the government, especially from the tourism sector,” Asap head Perl Jacalan said.

Aims is a member-based organization of more than 300 marathons from over 95 countries and territories.

“We can have more insightful expo in the future such as clinics and seminars with speakers coming from Aims,” said Jacalan.

For the expo, participants will have special discounts from their sponsors.

The expo will run from Jan. 4 to 7 at the Ayala Active Zone.

Conditioning Coach Jim Saret will be in Cebu to conduct a running clinic on Dec. 3.

According to CERC official John Pages, they cannot give in to the clamor of other runners to provide medals in the 21K distance run as they want to uphold the tradition of the Cebu City Marathon by giving only medals to all the finishers of the 42K.

He also said only 5,000 registrants will receive the New Balance singlet.

“It doesn’t mean that we are giving 21K distance runners less importance, it’s just that we want to sort of maintain the tradition in this race,” Pages said.

This year, the 21K and 5K distance shared the same route but next year’s 5K distance will have a new route to avoid congestion.

The 42K run will have a cut-off time of seven hours and they will be closing the tunnel route to ensure the safety of the runners. The road will be open by 11 a.m.

Registration fees are P500 for the 5K, P700 for the 21K and P1,000 for the 42K. These fees will be valid until Nov. 20. Late registration fees are P600 for the 5K, P900 for the 21K and P1,200 for the 42K.

Iste S. Leopoldo Sunstar Cebu

Runners from around the country and the world are expected to come to the Queen City of the South as Cebu City Marathon goes back to its Sinulog roots, bringing the festive vibe to the sport and highlighting the race as an added reason to join the city’s biggest festival.

Last year’s run attracted close to 6,500 runners including foreigners from 17 different countries, over 300 from Manila and more than a hundred from the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

“We are expecting that the number of participation will increase this year as we will also encourage students from the different colleges and universities to participate and we would like to attract more foreign runners and locals as well,” said Meyrick Jacalan of Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC) during the event’s press launch yesterday at the Active Zone in Ayala Center.

The race will once again feature three categories – the 42K full marathon, 21K half marathon and 5K fun run.

For the safety of the runners, most of the race route will be closed to traffic.

The South Road Properties (SRP) will be completely closed and for the rest of the route, only one lane of the road will be open to vehicular traffic while the area for the runners will be cordoned off.

Roads will open to full traffic at 9:30 a.m. or five and a half hours after the start of the 42K race.

After 9:30 am, runners may continue with the assistance of traffic enforcers and marshals.

Water will be provided at the finish line and every two kilometers along the course. Medical aid will be available at certain points along the route and at the finish line.

Runners will also enjoy the festive atmosphere during the race day with games, raffle with grand prizes and entertainers from start to finish.

Days prior to the race day, Jacalan said that they will do a couple of sessions for those who are planning to run the 42K event.

“We will be giving tips for the newbies on what are the things to do in order to finish the ultramarathon,” he said.

Registration fees are pegged at P500 for 5K, P700 for 21K and P1,000 for 42K until November 20 while late registration fees are P600, P900 and P1,200 for the three categories, respectively, from November 21 to December 15.

Registration will entitle the runner to a limited edition New Balance singlet, finisher’s medal for all 42K runners, timing chip powered by Sprint Race Timers, race bib, post-race refreshments, post-race massage (21K and 42K runners), finisher’s loot bag, opportunities to win in the raffle, product sampling and giveaways from sponsors, access to the Marathon Expo, access to the Carbo-Loading Party and big discounts in Ayala Active Zone stores.

The top finisher in the 42K race will get a guaranteed cash prize of P50,000 while the top finisher of the 21K gets P15,000 and that of the 5K gets P5,000.

Only the first 5,000 registrants will receive the New Balance Singlet, that’s why the organizers encourage the running enthusiasts to send registration forms earlier.

There will be a lot of pre-race activities in store for all runners including the Marathon Expo at on January 4-7 at the Active Zone, Ayala Center with amazing promos and exciting discounts on all running gear, sportswear and other accessories.

Race packs may also be claimed during the Expo.

On January 6, all the registrants are invited to join the Carbo-Loading Party at The Terraces, Ayala Center where they can meet and mingle with other running enthusiasts and experts.

There are two ways to register – online through www.cebumarathon.com which opened last October 7 or on-site at the Active Zone, Ayala Center Cebu from November 2 to December 15.

The Cebu Marathon is presented by Castrol, co-presented by New Balance, Ayala Center Cebu and Cebu I.T. Park. The race is organized by the Cebu Executive Runners Club, the City of Cebu and ASAP Advertising Services and Promotions, Inc. (FREEMAN) By Marigold P. Lebumfacil

This will be the third edition of the event, organized by Cerc in partnership with the Cebu City Government.

Aside from getting the support of local runners, the early online registration will create easier access for interested Cebu participants who are not from Cebu to join the race, which attracted a large number of out-of-town runners last year.

“The increase last year was because a lot of people heard about Cebu City marathon and they have also read good things about it,” said Cerc member Meyrick Jacalan.

The last CCM had 6,300 runners. This time organizers will be expecting the number to float around 8,000 participants because of the online registration.

Bigger

“This will be much bigger in terms of participation and will be merrier,” said former Cerc president Jessie Taborada.

With the theme “Feel the Beat, Get on your feet,” organizers remind everyone to run competitively but still have fun while running in the event, which is a prelude to the biggest festival in Cebu ,the Sinulog.

Runners can register at www.cebumarathon.com and they can check the race details, browse the previous year’s achievements and check the route of the half and full marathon.

Early registration starts today and ends on Nov. 20. Registration fee for the 42K is P1,000, and P700 for the 21K. Runners in the 5K pay 500.

Those who fail to register early can still sign up in the late registration from Nov. 21 to Dec. 15 but organizers will charge a fee of P1,200 in the 42K, P900 in the 21K and P600 in 5K.

This will be the main theme when the 3rd Cebu City Marathon unfolds on January 8 at the Cebu IT Park in Brgy. Apas, this city.

As the slogan of the event suggests, the organizers promise an even bigger and merrier race.

“We plan to do it much bigger, merrier,” said Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC) past president Jesse Taborada in the formal launching of the event yesterday at Laguna Garden Café in Ayala Center-Cebu.

From 6,000, Taborada said they are targeting 8,000 entries this time with more out-of-town entries not only from other areas in the country but even foreign runners.

To achieve that goal, online registration through www.cebumarathon.com has already started yesterday and will end on December 15.

A registration booth will be put up at the Active Zone of Ayala beginning November 1.

Entry fee is pegged at P500 for 5K, P700 for 21K and P1,000 for the 42K for those who will register until November 23. Late registrants will be assessed with P1,200 for the 42K, P900 for the 21K and P600 for the 5K.

Although it’s a bit higher than this year’s fee except in the 5K, the organizers promise that the participants will get their money’s worth considering the actual cost from singlet to running chips and goodies plus a raffle ticket.

As for the entertainment part, organizers plan to put up more bands, music or even volunteers to cheer up the runners.

“This calls for the runners not only to race seriously, but also for fun. As the logo suggests, it’s fun and colorful signifying a fun race,” said CERC’s Meyrick Jacalan.

After the race, runners will get free massage and refreshments.

More than getting their time fast and accurate, runners will also get a text message about their personal time as soon as they cross the finish line if they register their cellphone numbers. This is a new feature of the timing chip added by the organizers.

“We carry the name of island, province, city, so the expectations are high and we intend to keep our standards high,” said Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) president John Pages, who is one of the prime movers of the event.

Prior to the race, a carbo-loading party will be held at Ayala on January 6 CC CC plus a running expo that will run for four days. (FREEMAN)

Cebu City Marathon was a perfect race for everybody from registration up to the awarding ceremonies. The registration and distribution of race packets gave us ”no problem” as the race staff and personnel were so accommodating to every runner. There were no long lines to speak of. The carboloading party was also a “class act” to follow where the venue was at the newly-expanded “The Terrace” at the Ayala Center with choices of food available to everybody; orderly arrangements of tables and chairs for all the runners; nice Live Performance of Bands & Singers; and the very orderly and detailed conduct of the program during the party. I stayed longer in the said party because it was my first time to watch the movie “The Spirit of the Marathon” which was shown on a big screen that helped motivate the runners to finish the race where they registered or participated.

Start of the Full Marathon @ 4:00 AM

On race day, I had to wake up at 3:00 AM to make sure the members of the Elite Team Bald Runner were ready to warm-up with a slow jog towards the Starting Line as we were coming from the CENTCOM Headquarters at Camp Lapulapu, Lahug. The distance from our place where we stayed was a good one kilometer, which is just the exact distance for a warm-up jog before doing some stretching exercises.

The Race Organizers really mean business on the day of the race. They started the Marathon Race at exactly 4:00 AM which is the published Gun Start. As always, John Pages and his co-Race Director were there at the Starting Line to make sure that everything was followed as scheduled. True enough, the Marathon Race started with a big bang! Lots of fireworks were released 10 seconds before the Starting Gun was fired by no less than John Pages. Fireworks before the Gun Start? Am I dreaming of a second New Year’s celebration? Aside from the start of the full Marathon Race, they did it again before the gun was fired off during the start of the Half-Marathon! It was my first time to experience such festive mood (with music & fireworks) in a Marathon Race during the span of my running career aside from the usual aerobics, loud music with a festive beat, and drum & percussion bands. (Note: Condura & MILO, if you read this one, this is a tough act to follow!!!)

Congressman Gilbert Remulla; Andrew Neri of MILO/NESTLE, Phil

I have to wait one hour & ten minutes before the start of the Half-Marathon race. I was too cautious to my injury that I opted to run the Half-Marathon in order to test if I’ve recovered well since the Pasig River Marathon last November 8 last year. This Half-Marathon was my first road race after two months of rest and recovery and also my first road race for the year 2010.

While I was doing my second set of warm-up, I met Congressman Gilbert Remulla who is featured in the First Issue of the Front Runner Magazine and Mr Andrew Neri of MILO/Nestle, Phil. I had a brief chat with them and I found out that Congressman Remulla is a regular visitor in this blog. Thanks, Congressman! I hope you will greatly help us bring the sports of running down to the “grassroots” level.

A View From the Back of the Half-Marathon Runners @ The Starting Line

It was not my intention to run the half-marathon to reach my previous PR or do 100% effort. My goal was to finish the race without my chronic muscle tear on my left calf and peroneus muscles to recur. It was a test to find out if my injury have completely healed and at the same time find out the status of my fitness level in running. This race is some kind of a “diagnostic test” after starting a training cycle for the past three weeks. In simple words, I wanted to finish the race in less than two hours without any injury with an average pace of less than six minutes per kilometer.

After the fireworks and the starting gun was fired off, I started to slowly jog until I was out of the IT Park. The first kilometer was a slow run for me as I was trying to warm-up before reaching my race pace of less than 6:00-minute per kilometer and the terrain was a slight uphill. I started to peak up my pace on my 2nd kilometer and from there I was on my “automatic cruise control” all the way towards the turn-around point at the
SRP Road.

Everything you need in a road race was “perfect” as I observed during the race! The race has a nice route passing through the city’s historical landmarks; terrain description of the course is relatively flat; lots of water stations and long tables with disposable cups filled with water, 100 Plus Sports Drinks; aid stations with sponges soaked in cold water; lots of road marshals along the route and in critical corners with flags used to point the exact direction of the runners to take; lots of traffic enforcers and police to man the intersections; exact location of kilometer markings properly marked and color-coded for the half-marathon and marathon distances; ambulance & emergency vehicles busy plying along the long stretch of the SRP Road; dancers and bands in every water station; cheerers along the route with placards written with words of encouragement; and the disciplined/cooperative drivers and riding public along the route. This is the only race that I have joined locally without hearing blaring horns of vehicles and bad words/curse coming from the mouths of drivers and the riding public whose vehicles were stuck on traffic due to the on-going race. The running or race atmosphere and environment in Cebu City was completely different from the races in Metro Manila. Moreover, the weather during the race was also perfect!

SRP Road Towards 10.5K Turn-Around Point

Running along the SRP Road was a breeze. I really did not care the smell I was breathing along the SRP Road as the smell along Roxas Boulevard and along the Pasig River are far worse. However, I was entertained by the sight and scenery of the place plus the greetings I got from the runners coming from Manila. Most of the runners from Manila joined the Cebu City Marathon Race as part of their training and preparation for the 2nd BDM 102 which will be held on March 6-7. And before these “hardcores” will join again the Condura Marathon on February 7, the same runners will  join the BDM 102 “test run” from Km #0 in Mariveles, Bataan to Km #50 in Abucay, Bataan on January 23. These runners are really “hardcores”. Other runners whose faces I’ve seen for the first time would greet me along the SRP Road and I know that they are not from Manila because they greet me as “Bald Runner”. As compared from the runners in Manila, they simply greet me as “B R”. It was also along this part of the route that most of the runners overtook me and I let them go until I overtook them one by one on the last 3 kilometers from the finish line.

With The Elite Team Bald Runner

The reason why I became faster on the last 3-4 kilometers from the Finish Line was that the members of Elite Team Bald Runner who finished their respective races met me along the way. Everybody cheered, paced, and handed me water and Gatorade drinks placed in small ice candy plastic bags until I reached the last 500 meters before the Finish Line. Some of my runners would also take pictures of me running with the other members.

Last 1.5 Kms To The Finish Line

Last 400 Meters To The Finish Line

I finished the Half-Marathon Race in 1:57:35 hours, Official Time, and ranked #53 among the 354 finishers. My average pace was 5:35 minutes per kilometer and with an average HR of 159 beats per minute. I was happy that I was able to finish the race in less than two hours without any pain or cramps from my past muscle injury. My target goals for this race were attained.

The Bald Runner is Back!!!

Cora Salcedo Won #4 in Women’s 5K Race

Raul Lamprea Finished #8 and Jujet De Asis Placed #2 in the Men’s 5K Race

Team Bald Runner Got #1-2-3 in the Men’s 21K Race

Elmer Sabal Placed #5 & Rene Desuyo Placed #8 in the Men’s 42K Race

I can say that the performance of the Elite Team Bald Runner in this race was outstanding. In the Marathon race, Elmer Sabal placed #5 and Rene Desuyo placed #8. In the Half-Marathon, Alquin Bolivar placed #1; Crifrankreadil Indapan placed #2; and Gerald Sabal placed #3. In the 5K Men’s Category, Jujet De Asis placed #2 and Raul Lamprea placed #8 and in the 5K Women’s Category, Cora Salcedo placed #4. In due time and more focused training, we will beat the Kenyans in future marathon races. My runners are learning a lot from them.

In conclusion, the Cebu City Marathon was an outstanding road race that surpassed my expectations. From registration, distribution of race packets, carboloading party, race proper, up to the awarding ceremonies and the immediate posting of the official results, everything was “perfect”. It only proves once again the importance of the local government’s full support and involvement that makes a Marathon Race of such magnitude as a very successful event. In essence, it is the UNITY IN PURPOSE and COOPERATION of everybody that spell the difference to create an excellent result is the moral lesson in this event. Congratulations to City Mayor Tomas Osmena and his City Council, John Pages & his Co-Race Directors & Staff, Cebu Executive Runners Club, the Race Sponsors, Volunteers, and to all the Cebuanos for a job well-done!!!

Happy Sinulog Festival!!!

Team Bald Runner will be back for the 2nd edition of the Cebu City Marathon!

THUMBS UP:

• Well-attended and well-organized carbo loading party on a Friday (better than the eve of the race)
• Convenient and easy registration and race packet redemption
• Timing chip for 21k and 42k
• Fire works at the start of the race
• Challenging and scenic route for 21k
• Abundant water and 100Plus in long tables
• Marshals along the route
• Cebu-themed entertainment along the route
• Cheerers with inspirational signs along the route
• Bananas, sponges, and muscle rub provided at some stations
• Announcement of name upon nearing the finish
• Booths after the race
• Free Leona’s pastries, 100Plus, and mineral water
• Awarding began shortly after the race and was situated near the finish so it was very well-attended
• Immediate release of results
• Unique mango finishers’ medal for full marathoners

BETTER JOB NEXT TIME:

• Kilometer markers were accurate, but there could’ve been more

Cebu City Marathon: the best local race I have ever joined. The organizers of Cebu Marathon got everything right from the carbo loading party to the awarding program. I was told that they ran Singapore, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam Marathons and attempted to replicate the best from these marathons in Cebu. Looks like they were very successful.

The one thing that stood out in this race, which contributed most to its success but didn’t cost a cent, were the people. The warmth and hospitality of the organizers and Cebuano runners were felt all throughout. Spectators lined the roads and cheered enthusiastically. It didn’t feel like another big corporate-sponsored racing event, but a run to celebrate Cebu, its people, and its culture.

___________________________________

A LETTER FROM A FATHER

I received an email from Maxi about his daughter Bea a couple of days before Cebu Marathon. He wrote:

“Bea is actually a soccer varsity player at UST. I have encouraged her to run regularly because I see the potential in her to become a good long-distance runner someday.

Problem is, she has to have a person she can look up to as a model-runner. She needs a guide, a mentor, a running partner. She needs an inspiration so that she can take running with passion and dedication.

I think that fits you.”

Woah. I was flabbergasted. For a father to entrust his most prized possession to me, his daughter, even for just a 2-hour race, was an honor. We made plans to meet at the starting line.

RACE START

Hubby, Ben, and I were all running the half marathon. We arrived at Asiatown I.T. Park at 4:50 a.m. with enough time to spare before the 5:10 race start for baggage check in, portalet visit, and stretching. Then, we entered the starting area and spotted Vince of Finish Line. After a few minutes of chatting and a magnificent fireworks display, we were off.

I didn’t see Bea nor Maxi at the starting line.

THE FIRST HALF

Our first kilometer was slow, around 7 min/km. Hubby, Vince, and I weaved in and out of the crowd of runners as we climbed the short, narrow road in the dark. At that point, I still hadn’t decided if I would go at race pace or run easy.

Soon after, the road opened up and runners took their own space. I was running alone.

The course started going downhill, and after running for quite some time, I realized it was downhill all the way until the end. Thanks to the recent Chi running course I took with Lit Onrubia (separate post on this soon), I was no longer scared of descents, but I had been converted into a fearless, forward-leaning, gravity-loving runner. I rolled through those downhills and decided, somewhere in between two stoplights, that I was definitely racing this one.

EAT MY DUST, PINK RUNNER!

At around 5k, I ran alongside a female runner in pink. I tried to outrun her, but she wouldn’t let up. Each step I took, she matched at the same speed and power. After a while, I focused less on her and on my own pace. Lo and behold, we still ran side-byside as if we were pace buddies.

We went up into SRP together, a reclaimed area in Cebu. And, almost in slow motion, amidst the competition and in between gasps of breath, I noticed the scenic view from the bridge, the sun above us, plus the wide road lined with runners before me; it was a sight to behold. I felt so fortunate to be part of the race.

Back to the pink runner. All the while, from 5k to the 11k turnaround, we ran without speaking nor acknowledging the others’ presence. Many times, I thought, I should say something to break the silence, but shyness overcame me.

After the turnaround, I decided to make peace with competition. As I gobbled up my Hammer Gel, I turned to her and said “Do you want a gel?” And, when she looked at me, I was pleasantly surprised.

FROM FIENDS TO FRIENDS

It was Bea! The 18-year-old I was supposed to run with, the one I missed at the assembly, was the same pink runner I had been running with for over 6km!

As Master Oogway said in Kung Fu Panda, “There are no accidents.” And, I do believe that Bea and I running together was no coincidence.

– with Bea, who runs half marathons at an age when all I thought of was school and parties. I wish I discovered running as early as Bea did -

– Bea and I right behind Vince of Finish Line along SRP -

We ran together for the next few kilometers. We even spotted her dad Maxi along the way. As much as I wanted to chat more, I could not, for the life of me, impart more than a sentence or two of wise TBR words (gosh, I actually couldn’t think of any!) to help her out as I was struggling to breathe myself.

Shortly after, Bea slowed down and ran behind me. At City Hall, I stopped to drink and
searched for her, but we lost each other in the crowd.

WHAT GOES DOWN, MUST COME UP

We all knew this was coming. The downhill would eventually be a long climb up towards the finish. I was fine all throughout the run until I hit Km19. It was at this point that I was too exhausted to run. So, I did what I had never done in any half marathon in the past. I walked!

Within the next few minutes, Kenneth of Cebu Executive Runners who was a marshal in that area, came up to me and cheered me on. He ran by my side so I picked up the pace, too. He told me it was the last climb up, once I reached the top and made a right, it was downhill all the way.

We passed school girls shouting “Go Ate, Go Ate, Go!” Kenneth taught them, “Go Jaymie, Go Jaymie, Go!” And that’s what they chanted from then on.

They offered sponges dripping with cold water and I took one for each hand. Before I left, more than 3 girls squeezed over 10 sponges on top of my head and I squealed in delight and gratitude for true Cebuano hospitality.

THE LAST FEW KILOMETERS

I made a right turn and I was relieved to see what Kenneth had promised: no more ascents!

Matthieu O’Halloran passed me at this point and I focused on following his pace to the finish. Yeah right! How foolish of me to choose a top triathlete to pace my weary self to the finish. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

I focused on running steady; my pace sped up to a 5:30 again. Before I knew it, I could hear my name being announced on the speaker and I crossed the finish line.

– with the hubby after the race -

– with Ruby of R.O.X. and Tiffin (10th place, 5k winner) -

NEW 21K PR

My goal for the year is a sub-2hour 21k. My secret goal for this race was to cross that off my list. I was so close, but I didn’t make it.

My official time: 2:01:25. Darn it. Average pace: 5:44 min/km for a distance of 21.12km. So many what ifs, like what if I didn’t stop at a station or if I didn’t walk. But, I’m still pretty happy with my run despite the annoying 1-minute overtime. It’s a new PR and I came in 13th overall in the female category.

Bea has a new PR at 2:04 from her previous 2:09. Hubby has a new PR too at 2:10. Woohoo for us all!

Congratulations to Cebu Marathon organizers and all runners who finished this fantastic race! Hope to see a 2nd Cebu Marathon in 2011!

– John Pages, Cebu Marathon organizer on stage -

– Awarding was very well attended. So unlike most of the post-race programs here in Manila -

– with friend Jujet de Asis, 2nd placer 5k -

– Bacolod gets hooked on running too. With female runners from Bacolod -

– with Ogies the Pogies -

Thank you to R.O.X. Recreational Outdoor Exchange, Marriott Cebu City Hotel, Ben

Chan and Kevin Bautista of Photovendo, John Pages, Meyrick Jacalan, Cebu Executive Runners, and Noy Jopson for making the Cebu trip a memorable experience. Until the next time!

MARRIOTT CEBU CITY
We parked our bags at Marriott Cebu City Hotel, our home for the next three days. The kids gave their immediate approval of the hotel upon seeing that the room was clean, cold, and, last but not the least, it had a tub in the bathroom!

Of course, later on, they took a dip in the pool, too.

RACE KIT REDEMPTION
After lunch in Ayala Center and a bit of shopping (really just a mad hunt for bubble bath soap), we headed to Ayala Center’s Active Zone to claim our race kits for Cebu Marathon.

We claimed our race kit in as little as 1 minute, perhaps even less. But, we stayed for over 30 minutes chatting with Cebuano runners, mostly the warm and welcoming Cebu Executive Runners club. It was nice to meet John Pages again, who I first met at QCIM, and Meyrick J., the race organizers of the marathon. I also met other runners like Kenneth and Annie, and chatted with Hearty, the coach of Dr. Yong and Donna Cruz, and Pam of Timex. Soon after, we were invited by no less than Ironman Camsur 70.3 Filipino elite champion and my Ateneo batchmate, Noy Jopson, for the best ice cream ever: Gelatissimo ice cream. Aaah, to die for! (Good thing they have a new branch at GB 5 already!)

– with John Pages, hubby, Meyrick J., Noy Jopson, Kenneth, Annie and the kids -

– non-stop chatting with Pam of Timex, Noy Jopson, hubby, myself, Ben Chan with our new best friend, Gelatissimo ice cream -

R.O.X. CEBU, AYALA CENTER
We also dropped by the brand spankin’ new branch of R.O.X. also in the Active Zone of Ayala Center. It was a little bit smaller than the humongous branch in Bonifacio High Street, but it had the same outdoorsy, laid-back feel. Its second floor was still being constructed.The noticeable difference with this store was the various sections for each sport. So, it now had a RUN section. How cool is that? I saw someone there who looked very familiar…

– See ME above ME? How cool is that? -

– TBR photos climbing up the stairs. RUN RUN RUN indeed! -

– Didn’t know it felt so good to be a mural -

CARBO LOADING PARTY AT AYALA CENTER
All Cebu Marathon runners were invited to the carbo loading party on Friday, 6pm in Ayala Center. It was obviously a well-planned event with runners given tickets to claim their carbo meals from various restaurants, such as Friday’s or The Gustavian, and dining under the night sky with entertainment from a band, race briefing from the organizers, inspiring talks and tips from speakers like Coach Rio and Dr. Yong Larrazabal, plus viewing of the inspiring Spirit of the Marathon video. Cebuano runners really know how to party!

– with Jane-Jane of Leona’s, Annie (fitness program director of Holiday Gym & Spa), Amale (super athlete mommy and Noy’s better half), Bro. Carlos, and Noy Jopson –
– with lawyer, broadcaster, runner and blogger Haide Acuna. Check out her blog: marathonfoodie.blogspot.com -
– with Joe and his friends. I’m seated beside Monsignor Joseph Tan. Yes, he’s a runner, too! -
- with Annie and the Ong family of the popular Cebuano bakery, Leonas. Yum yum! -
– with another running mommy, Jing and her daughter. Not in pic is her sub-4 marathoner husband, Mark from Cebu Striders -
– with one of the people responsible for the growth of running in Cebu and better half of Donna Cruz, Dr. Yong Larrazabal, TBR family, and Bro. Carlos -