Change of scenery

In a previous column, I mentioned that I’m slowing down on organizing running events this year as it seems the excitement is gone. With so many races happening at the same day, running has become a bore. In fact, the City government has come up with an ordinance to once and for all regulate footraces. Just before I left for Jaro, IloIlo City, race organizers together with officials of the Cebu City Sports Commission and Citom, met at the sports center to evaluate the ordinance. At the meeting were Cebu City Sports Commission’s Brando Velasquez and Raul Manawatao, Citom’s Empic, Joel Baring, Kenneth Casquejo and yours truly. After some deliberations, we scheduled another meeting and this time, together with the commissioners. Meanwhile, I just touched base in the city after spending a week in Iloilo to prepare for the ICCHS Centennial Run set on Feb 19. I was also there for the Jaro fiesta. While in IloIlo Boyet Rentoy of Prosports and I discussed the possibility of holding an ultramarathon in Guimaras in May and another in Palawan before the year ends. We are excited with Palawan since we will make the St. Paul Underground River as our finish line (not exactly in the river but the park just before you board a banca for the trip inside the cavern). We intend to start at the Puerto Princessa City Hall or Capitol and go all the way to Sabang. That’s about 80 kilometers. I'll be talking to Jonel Mendoza of Frontrunner soon as I’m sure a lot of ultramarathoners will be interested, what with the underground river that was recently named as one of the seven wonders of nature. If you can’t wait for Guimaras and Palawan, then train your guns on the 2nd Coast to Coast 65km Ultramarathon which fires off on April 29 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol while ending at the Toledo City Hall. If you notice, the route is reversed from last year’s ultra where we started at Toledo City. Watch out for details.

Leyte running

I’ll soon be leaving for Tacloban City to start talks with Monsignor Alex Openiano for a proposed running event that would probably include the San Juanico Bridge in the route . Former Cebu Business Park administrator Toty Lim called me about another race that would start and end at Mc Arthur’s Park in Palo, Leyte to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Palo diocese. Wow, these are all sites to be hold in Leyte. Toty also said the Romualdez clan including former first lady Imelda Marcos, is quite interested on this undertaking. I’ll also try to survey the stretch leading to Agas Agas Bridge near Malitbog, the country’s tallest, for a probable ultramarathon route, a change of scenery indeed.