P3-million international marathon to highlight Quezon City day

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City, ranked among the top 10 Asian cities of the future by the Financial Times Magazine, is celebrating its 70th founding anniversary this year by staging one of the richest running events in the country – the Quezon City International Marathon – offering a P3M purse and drawing an impressive field of 10,000 runners.

The event unfolds on Oct. 18 starting and ending at the Elliptical Road with the winners in the men’s and women’s divisions claiming P300,000 each and the first and second runners-up earn P200,000 and P100,000, respectively.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte said the one-day racefest will be one of the highlights of the city’s 70th founding anniversary this October while paying tribute to the city’s past leaders.

“The Quezon City International Marathon pays tribute to the city’s previous leaders in the mold of President (Manuel) Quezon, who laid the foundation upon which we build today,” said Belmonte in yesterday’s event launch at the Max’s Restaurant inside the QC Circle.

“The marathon is a symbol of these men’s heroic passion, fortitude, persistence and perseverance – qualities that are the very hallmarks of a grueling 42-kilometer run,” he added.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, a running enthusiast who is participating in the event, said the city has nurtured her love for running since she started in the sport as a student of the University of the Philippines.

“Quezon City is a running home to me because I studied in the UP eight years ago and I used to run there,” she said.

The Philippine STAR, SM, San Jose Builders, Manila Water Corp., PCSO, Maynilad, Adidas, Sun Cellular, Gatorade, Timex, Unilab, Philips, Microsoft, GMA Network, Pharmaton, R.O.X., Fitness First, Runnr, Second Wind, Sportspray, Photovendo, takbo.ph and Rush are sponsoring the event.

The Executive Runners Club of the Philippines (RUNNEX), led by president Rudy Fernandez and chairman Art Disini, will manage the race with an estimated 10,000 runners expected to participate in the 5K, 10K and 21K events and in the centerpiece 42.195km full marathon.

The race will pass through the UP campus, Commonwealth Ave., Don Mariano Marcos Ave., Batasan Road, La Mesa Dam Eco-Park, Mindanao Ave. and the Ayala Techno Park.

The organizers also said timing chips will be used to record the participants’ performance and time as well as provide analysis on how they run the event.