The Aboitiz Race 2 Reduce

I recently announced that after the Great Lapu-Lapu Run, we will be organizing the Aboitiz Race 2 Reduce Challenge 10K Run. Actually, it was an idea of Aboitiz Gonzo Gonzales and Jovy Tan as part of company’s outreach programs. Aboitiz recently launched this program among its different entities as a competition of sorts on which group could reduce consumption of water, fuel electricity and carbon. Since we were talking on reduction, Jovy said why don’t we reduce a person’s weight as well. So we targeted May 2 as the date for the race but all that changed when Aboitiz chief reputation officer Basti Lacson, a marathoner and triathlete himself, said he wants a big race with international standards. Basti who rides a bike to work has run in several marathons in Spain including the Barcelona Marathon. So I have to make another budget proposal since Basti wants to use timing chips and cameras in the race that will now be a half marathon, Basti also wants the names of all finishers with their corresponding times posted in a local newspaper. We are now training our sights on the SRP and are looking at August 8 as the race date. With a reputation to uphold, I’m sure the Aboitiz Race 2 Reduce Challenge will be another monster of a race. And if the Cebu run is successful, Basti said Aboitiz will bring the race to Davao City and Metro Manila.

Running Clinic

Just before the Earth Day Walk by Aboitiz employees, CERC’s Dr. Raymond Bontol conducted a running clinic and emphasized the proper form, stride, etcetera. This will also serve as the beginning of the Aboitiz Runner Club that Jovy Tan will organize in preparation for the race. After the clinic the group that also included Basti, walked from the corporate center in Banilad to the Persimmon Plus in Mabolo where we waited for the switch off.

Milette’s Boston Dream

Two years ago I wrote a column on Milette Chiongbian’s chances of qualifying for the mother of all marathons, Boston. Milette said I was kidding and that it was impossible for her to get into a race with qualifying standards. But I told Milette I was dead serious and that she had been progressing tremendously since she clocked over 5 hours in her first marathon in Cebu in 2007. I pointed out that recent studies showed that petite or small women are bound to perform better than the tall ones. Former world marathon record holder Tegla Loroupe of Kenya whom I met in the 2004 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, stands only 4’ 10” and weighs less than 100 pounds. Olympian Rosa Mota, a former Boston Marathon champion is also 4’ 10”. On the men’s side, take a look at our very own Vertek Buenavista who is 4’ 11”. Vertek holds the national record of 2:18:48. My analysis probably challenged Milette who took running seriously and was soon creeping to the top ten in the women’s division. Milette was probably in a hurry when she joined the 2008 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and failed to qualify for Boston when she clocked 3:49. Milette’s age group qualifying time is 3:45. Milette went back to Cebu and started training under Hall of Famer Bert Banzon who advised Milette to avoid the weekly races and concentrate on the big ones. Milette’s sacrifices paid off when she clocked 3:43:08 in this month’s Honda Los Angeles Marathon to qualify for the 2011 Boston Marathon which will stage its 115the edition. Milette finished 1,310th out of 21,532 runners. Congratulations Milette, I was right after all.

The Great Lapu-Lapu Run

Preparation for the much-awaited the Great Lapu-Lapu Run shifts to high gear even as event chair Hembler Mendoza announced that almost all the resort hotels in Mactan have thrown their support. These include Waterfront Hotel Mactan, Shangrila, Hilton, Plantation Bay, Imperial Palace, Abaca and even Parklane among others. Hembler said the hotels will provide food after the race. Hembler added that over 200 police and Barangay tanods will be fielded along the route while Gatorade will have 5 sports drinks stations besides the over flowing supply of water. Registration is now ongoing and will end on April 13. Race packets will be distributed starting April 15 at the Active Zone in Ayala Center.

Notes:

Congratulations to my buddy Dr. Renald Ramiro, organizer of the MOVE 5K circuit for placing first in the gym client 12K category of the CITIRUN held last Sunday at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug. Dr. Ren clocked 1:10:21. Cheers to Metrografix Mary Rose Tabal for winning the 6K category in 24:18