New Clark City to host country's first-ever Spartan Stadion
MANILA, Philippines – The Spartan Stadion is coming to the Philippines for the first time this weekend at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Barely a few weeks since the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) opened New Clark City's doors for the first time since the pandemic started, the unique venue is set to welcome some 1,600 participants for the Spartan Stadion and two other races on Friday and Saturday.
The event marks a new chapter in Spartan Race Philippines' success in the country.
"Spartan Race has been here since 2017 and it's a really growing community and we wanna touch base more on other areas," said Spartan Race Philippines General Manager and Managing Partner Marc Celis.
"Last February, we started with Spartan Trail where we wanted more trail runners to join and now with Spartan Stadion we're welcoming more crossfitters to join Spartan Race. We want them to experience the obstacle racing how close it is to their sport and you know, for them to be introduced to the Spartan Race community," he added.
The Stadion is a 5-kilometer, 20-obstacle course held in "legendary sports arenas".
The New Clark City Athletics Stadium thus lines itself up with the likes of the AT&T Stadium in Texas, Fenway Park in Boston, and the State de France in Paris.
BCDA's development partner MTD Philippines raved over the opportunity to design the stadium.
"When we designed these facilities and created them, our goal is to actually have them comparable to the best in the world," said MTD President Engr. Patrick Nicholas David.
Also happening over the weekend is the Spartan Hurrcane Heat 12 hours, which begins Friday night, and the Spartan Kinds Qualifying Race.
The athletes village in New Clark City will also be housing some of the racers as they will be coming from all over the Philippines and nearby countries in Asia.
Back to its sports roots
While BCDA only opened New Clark City's doors to the public once again last month, the hub was actually quite busy during the COVID-19 pandemic as it served as a facility for those who were infected with the global malady.
Rather than attempting to shake off that tag, BCDA Corporate Services Group Senior Vice President Arrey Perez said that it is a badge that New Clark City wears with pride.
"This is the major hub where we took care of COVID-19 patients and helped heal the nation. This place helped contain the contagion. So we're happy to say that," he said.
Still, Perez is grateful for New Clark City to return to its original calling — to be a world class sports facility.
"Hosting this momentous race cements New Clark City’s profile as a prime venue for sporting events and as an ideal destination for developing strong athletes from all walks of life," he said.
- Latest
- Trending
