Aboitiz Chief Reputation Officer Basti Lacson had apologized to the runners especially those in the full marathon for the inadequate hydration in the other Sunday’s Race to Reduce Challenge. As the race director I’m likewise doing the same but some quarters want to “knock me down, step on my face, scander my name all over the place.” Hey, wait a minute, these are lyrics of “Blue Suede Shoes” would “Don’t Be Cruel” be more appropriate? Well, seriously speaking, there were a few runners who called for a boycott during next year’s edition. 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. If you think we will run out of races to officiate, think again. On September 9 my chief technical official Precing Capangpangan will handle the Don Sergio Osmena Sr. (DSOS) Memorial Run, then on October 2, Precing will again officiate the Milo Marathon. On September 10, I’ll be directing the Warrior 50 Ultramarathon at Be Resort. The same goes on November 18 when I start off the Century Challenge Bogo to Cebu City Ultra. On October 9 I will be directing the PLDT Smart Maskkara 10 Miler in Bacolod City. Then hold your breath, on November 27 we will stage the Avante Garde Run with organizers assuring us up to 50,000 runners that will clog the SRP. And if I accept an offer, we will hold the Baptist Run on November 30. People are wondering why I was not talking after the race. Well, i was just evoking the Cosa Nostra (Mafia) “OMERTA” or code of silence. As I said 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.
Flops
If you think the Cebu Province-backed Aboitiz Race to Reduce was not a good race well, listen to this. In the first staging of Pasig International Marathon organized by no less than former first lady Ming Ramos and Fr. Robert Reyes,the lead car made a wrong turn leading the runners to a wrong direction. There were runners coming from three different directions heading to the finish line. Since there were no winners, the purse was equally divided among the top ten. In the 2009 Quezon City International Marathon, the Kenyans probably interchanged their chips thus resuting to chaotic rankings. There were two sets of winners announced in two different national newspapers. There was also inadequate water in that race. Last year, one runner died in the Milo Marathon in Manila. Some say it was heat stroke because of inadequate water. Anyway, as Basti said we will be correcting our mistakes, meanwhile I’ll bite the bullet.