Ban

I received a lot of text messages recently regarding the banning of foreign runners especially the Kenyans in races here in Cebu. I said it before and I’ll say it again thats it’s really discriminatory. If that’s what some organizers want, then don’t make the race competitive, but a real fun run, no registration fee, no singlet, no prizes. That’s the real essence of a fun run. I don’t think an out-of-town competitive runner will travel here just to do a long run. One suggestion is to make a separate category for foreign runners but that would be costly to an organizer who has other motives other than physical fitness. Some entry forms also suggest banning professional runners. Well, let’s pardon the ignorance but there’s no such thing as professional runners. The marathon is under athletics which is governed by International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) rules. So even 160 meters world record holder Usian Bolt is not a professional. When we were planning the Aboitiz Race to Reduce Marathon last year, we intended to give a separate prize for the first Filipino finisher but then chief reputation manager Basti, Lacson a marathoner himself, said “Wala pa ang duwa ni surrender na ta.” In the early Nike Pharmaton races here, Cebu’s top runners threatened to boycott the race when I brought the National team here. But don’t you know your performance improves when you run with the best. “Mahatak man ka gud”. Reminds me of a race in Cagayan De Oro where Allan Ballester barely won against a local runner Simon Bolivar who stuck to him like a leech. Ballester won by just 3 seconds. During the last staging of the PAL Manila Marathon in 1997, an all European team composed of Italians and Russians with personal best times of 2:18 and under were formed in an attempt to finally end the dominance of my team, the Nike Running Club that has won eleven straight team titles. Rather than complain, we plot our strategies and upset the European team, winning our 12th crown by a hairline six seconds. Our team was composed of 1988 Seoul Olympian Hector Begeo, 1992 Barcelona Olympian and former national marathon record holder Herman Suizo, eventual Atlanta Olympian Roy Vence and fast –rising Allan Ballester, who later became Sea Games Marathon gold medalist.

Prestigious

In other countries, organizers pay top runners to run in their race because their presence make the run prestigious. Would you be proud if you win a marathon in 4 hours? It just shows what kind of field you have. If you were in school “Valedictorian ka sa mga bugo”. I’d rather be “bugo” in Section A. So, let’s stop all these crap and just run. 

Hardcore Bogo 100 Miles

After the success of last year’s Century Properties 100K Ultramarathon from Bogo City to Plaza Independencia, we announced the 160K Ultra which will again start in Bogo City. I was in Manila last week to finalize the event with Front Runner Magazine’s Jonel Mendoza, the guy responsible of bringing ultra-running in Cebu in 2010. We have set the date on November 17 and will have a cut-off time of 30 hours. Registration fee is Php 5,000. Only those who finished a 100K ultra will be accepted.