Laguna de Bay ultra marathon relay slated

MANILA, Philippines - The Laguna de Bay Challenge: 200-km Ultra Marathon Relay, aimed at boosting public awareness to the state and plight of Laguna Lake, will be held May 1 and 2 with close to P1 million in cash prizes at stake.

“We hope the Ultra Marathon Relay will help residents of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces realize why Laguna Lake is a vital watershed,” said Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Edgar Manda at the PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Ave.

Joining Manda in the session sponsored by Shakey’s, Accel, Pagcor and Outlast Battery was event organizer Emmet Penson, who announced that the powerhouse Kenyan runners have signified their intention to compete along the Laguna Lake shoreline.

“But to level the playing field, we won’t allow them to be in one team. In fact, elite runners will be limited to two for each five-man squad so it promises to be a competitive race,” Penson said.

He added that the Kenyans were lured by the P350,000 pot going to the team champion during the two-day event also supported by the Laguna de Bay Conservation Society and the Laguna and Rizal provincial governments.

The runner-up will get P200,000; third, P100,000; fourth, P75,000; fifth, P50,000; while the sixth to 10th places will receive P10,000 each, Penson said.

On the other hand, Manda said that Day 1, with the starting point at the Fontera Verde in Tiendesitas, Pasig City, will cover 89.5 kilometers while Day 2 will be a 121.1-km. trek back to Fontera Verde.

He added that the P2,500 team entry fee will be for the benefit of the Gatalan Community Bamboo Forest Project in Sta. Cruz, Laguna and livelihood projects for the Laguna de Bay Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council.

Manda pointed out that Laguna de Bay, the country’s largest lake with an area of 91,136 hectares and the second-largest in Southeast Asia.   and its surrounding areas provide 20.5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“If we don’t protect this vital watershed, not only will the Philippine economy but also generations of Filipinos will suffer in the long run,” he said.