1st ever Earth Hour virtual run launched

MANILA, Philippines — A group of environmentalists has launched the first ever “Earth Hour Virtual Run” to encourage the Filipino running community to promote environmental conservation.

The event is led by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines in coordination with Pinoy Fitness, a web-based running and fitness community of athletes and fitness enthusiasts in the country.

Dubbed “Earth Hour Virtual Run: Shape Our Future,” the event is in line with the celebration of Earth Hour 2022 tomorrow.

Pinoy Fitness CEO Jeff Lo said the running community could utilize their platform to support environmental protection and conservation.

“For us in the running and fitness community, we believe that advocating for personal health should go hand-in-hand with advocating for the health of the environment,” Lo said.

“Some of the ways that members of the fitness community have been taking to promote environmental conservation are through calling people’s attention to the importance of not just their personal well-being but of the environment,” he added. “Pledging and participating in cause-centric events like distance and virtual runs aimed at raising funds for action groups on sustainability are also among the things that the running community takes.”

The virtual race, which will support the organization’s environmental conservation efforts across the country, will begin tomorrow until April 22.

Runners who will complete the 10 kilometer, 20 km, 40 km, or 60 km cumulative distance over the course of the run will receive a special Earth Hour finishers’ kit and have the chance to bag goodies from Adidas, Rustan’s, Rudy Project, Natura Yoga; virtual workout session from fitness trainer Carla Piscosso, Urbanashramyoga, Pinoy Fitness and WWF-Philippines.

Various social media influencers including WWF-Philippines ambassadors Rovilson Fernandez and Karen Ibasco, and celebrities Troy Montero and Carla Piscosso have confirmed to join the run.

Registration is until April 9 through the Pinoy Fitness Atleta app.

For more information, e-mail WWF-Philippines at [email protected].

Starting out as a symbolic “lights out event” in Sydney in 2007, WWF said Earth Hour has grown as the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment spanning over 192 countries and territories across the globe.

It brought out more than 9.6 billion impressions, with related hashtags trending in 42 countries last year.

Theme #ShapeOurFuture this 2022, the WWF network aims to remind the public that everyone has a role in shaping a new future for people and the planet - from taking individual steps toward living sustainably to urging companies and governments to help build a nature-positive and carbon-neutral future.