Running royalty run Adidas King of the Road
MANILA, Philippines - At the break of dawn, the Fort Bonifacio area was awash in bright yellow as close to 8,000 running enthusiasts gathered for Adidas King of the Road (KOTR), the premier racing event in the Philippines.
All roads led to Taguig City for Adidas KOTR last October 25. Starting at 4 a.m., fitness enthusiasts from all over gathered at the Fort Bonifacio field where they registered, warmed up, and waited for the races to start.
Just before sunrise, at 5:30 a.m., participants of the half marathon (21 kilometers) set off. At 6 a.m., 10K runners followed and 10 minutes later over 3,000 5K runners, the bulk of KOTR participants, set off in hot pursuit.
A roped-off corridor at 28th Street in Bonifacio Global City served as the starting and finish lines for all racers. Depending on their distance, racers trekked to nearby International School Manila within BGC, tackled a flyover to reach Mapua College in Makati City, or ran all the way to the Buendia Station of the Philippine National Railway.
At turnabouts, racers received colored strings to mark the completion of a section of the course. Registered participants wore Adidas singlets in yellow, which filled the urban landscape with the energizing color. Stations for hydration or bananas for energy were positioned along the course. At these intervals, members of the DLSU pep squad were also present to encourage runners.
With a finish time of 1:13:17, Richard Mutisha was hailed King of the Road for the 21K men’s division, while finishing at 1:33:23 was Nhea Ann Barcena, who led the 21K women’s division.
In the 10K tilt, Reylan Novallasca reigned supreme in the men’s division with a time of 35:27 as Christabel Martes cinched the women’s crown at 37:47. Mervin Guerte was king of the 5K run, clocking in at 20:27, while 11-year-old Michelle de Vera was the young queen of 5K with a time of 27:22.
Spotted at the mega racing event were celebrities, athletes, and personalities, including SEA Games medalist Christine Jacob Sandejas, sportsman Paco Sandejas, actor BB Gandanghari, TV host Rovilson Fernandez, radio DJ Sam YG, Karylle, Anton and Mia Nolasco-Cuenca, and blogger Jaymie Pizzaro of The Bull Runner.
Triathletes including former national team member Noel Salvador, Paulo Sauler, Tad Manas, and Ann Arellano also took part in the race. Ironwoman Ani de Leon, official coach of Adidas’s free running clinics, raised the banner for lady runners by completing her 21K in 1:43:6 and landed at No. 3.
Apart from supporting thousands of runners in the country, KOTR made a donation to Hope Worldwide Philippines (HWP), an organization that provides welfare and protection to young victims of abuse. At the end of the race, Adidas Philippines presented a check for P140,700 to HWP chairman Atty. Benny S. Sabidong and HWP board of trustee Babette Pascual Yllana.
Sponsors of Adidas King of the Road included Gold’s Gym, Canon, Gatorade, Globe, KFC Twister and Krushers, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Adidas Personal Care, Gourmet’s, C2 Green Tea, and Nova Multi-Grain Snack.
Nolet Puno, country manager of Adidas Philippines, and Lina Ismail, sports marketing manager of Adidas Southeast Asia, were on hand to award the top placers and to congratulate the thousands of racers who conquered Adidas King of the Road 2009.
