Freeman 86th Anniversary Run

After deliberating whether to push through with the race or not due to time constraints, we finally decided to push the green light. So on July 17, The Freeman 86th Anniversary 10K Run will be staged at the Cebu Business Park. Actually, The Freeman's general manager Boy Mendoza and marketing manager Tina Poblador were a bit hesitant because of the reason cited earlier. But when I assured them that with my experience as national race director spanning over 20 years and over 80 events, I could organize a race in a week's time provided of cause I have the "bullets." I will be talking with Cebu City Sports Club management for possible venue sponsorship.

We are expecting over 500 runners to participate with the bulk coming from Timex Philippines that always romp away with the biggest contingent award. Other big delegations are from Energizer Philippines, Danao City, Cebu Executive Runners, A22, Cebu Road Runners, Toledo, Lapu-Lapu and Prycegas. The route will probably the same as the one I designed for the Adidas Pharmaton circuit that started and ended in front of the City Sports Club Cebu. We will also stage a 3-kilometer fun run around the business park for The Freeman employees including Boy and Tina of course. Registration will soon start at the PSC office at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Fastest Man

Although I'm more of a rock and roll singer, I also appreciate Jamaican music or reggae, take a bow Bob Marley, long live Shaggy. But it was never in my wildest dream that a Jamaican would break the world record. But as Adidas would say, "Impossible is nothing". At the Tsiklitiria Super Grand Prix in early this month in Athens, Greece, Asafa Powel of Jamaica shattered the world record in the men's 100 meters, clocking 9:77 seconds in the process shaving one hundredth of a second off Tim Montgomery's mark of 9.78 set in Paris in 2002 Maurice Greene also set the world record of 9.79 in Athens in 1999.

The 22-year-old Powell who finished fifth in 9.94 seconds in last year's Athens Olympiad, clocked the world's fastest time of 9.84 seconds this year at the Jamaican International Invitational on May 8 and ran in 9.85 in a Czech trackfest. Powell is only the fourth non-American to hold the 100 meters world record since 1912. The others are Canada's Donovan Bailey (1996), Armin Hary of West Germany (1960) and Percy Williams also of Canada in 1930.

Powell's record run all but removed the controversy on Montgomery's record of 9:78. Montgomery is facing charges of taking performance-enhancing drugs. In the same track meet another Jamaican Frances Obikwela pocketed third in 10.03 seconds. While in the women's division, still another Jamaican Sherone Simpson ruled the century dash in 11.5. Of course the most famous female runner of Jamaica is the ageless Olympian Marlene Ottey who continues to dominate the sprints despite being over 35 years old. So now Jamaica is not only a tourist destination but also a sports power.