Join the Heroes Run for Cory on Sept. 9

Monday, 7 September 2009  |  Bullish Insights

On Sept. 9, 2009, it will be the 40th day since the passing of our beloved Tita Cory. We, the iamNinoy Runners Group steering committee, would like to invite the iamninoy Runners Group members to join us for a HEROES RUN, an organized tribute run around the Ayala Triangle, Makati’s pocket of greenery watched over by the monuments of Gabriela Silang, Pio del Pilar, and Ninoy Aquino to commemorate Tita Cory’s life.

Heroes Run details:

  1. Runners must be a member of iamNinoy Runners Group.  Only 200 runners may participate to avoid heavy foot traffic on Ayala Triangle. 
  2. iamNinoy runners must register online to join.  First come, first served.  Click here to sign up.  
  3. Please come in your iamNinoy t-shirt.
  4. The Heroes Run begins near the Ninoy Aquino monument and traces its route along Paseo de Roxas, Makati Avenue and Ayala. Each lap around the Triangle is about 1.2 kilometers. 
  5. A tent will be set up near the Ninoy Aquino monument where you can sign up and have your registration verified.  Runners can pledge to run any number of loops.
  6. The Heroes Run starts at 4:30 pm and ends at 6 pm.  Runners are encouraged to arrive before 4:30 pm.  However, those who have other commitments may also arrive anytime during the event and run around the Triangle.
  7. Runners are advised to strictly keep to the sidewalk. 


  8. There will be a Gatorade station near the Ninoy Aquino monument.
  9. Please avoid leaving trash around the area.
  10. After the run, some of us will be gathering at Grilla, Paseo de Roxas. You are welcome to join.

Celebrate the life of President Cory Aquino. Be one of the 200 to take on the Heroes Run.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

Hood to Coast: Best Race Ever!

Sunday, 6 September 2009  |  Favorite Posts, Race Reports

“You’re tougher than you think you are,
and you can do more than you think you can.”

– Ken Chlouber on the Leadville Trail 100 (Born to Run, Christopher McDougall)

It was my turn to run. As I saw Cool Aussie running towards me, I took a deep breath, grabbed the green band from his hand, and set off to run my first leg.

LEG 10: Windy Run through the Backroads of Oregon…Fantastic!

Time: 2:30 p.m.
Weather: Cloudy and windy
Temperature: 27C
Description: “Long leg mostly along Springwater Trail then city streets over relatively rolling and flat terrain”

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– Springwater Trail –

By this time, the intense heat that scorched my teammates during their run had dissipated and I was blessed with cool weather with winds blowing upon my face. The long paved road I was running on was narrow—just enough for two runners to run alongside each other—with trees lining both sides. I glanced at the road ahead with pure excitement, cranked up my speed, and put on my race face.

I swept past a few runners, but could not, for the life of me, outrun one older lady runner. After a few kilometers, we settled into a comfortably hard pace and run side-by-side. Boy, she was tiring me out. When we reached a turn on the road leading to a short climb towards even narrower roads, I spotted my teammates waiting to provide support. I smiled, waived off the drink they were offering, and sped off to leave lady runner behind.

This was the time I managed to admire my surroundings: abundance of nature around me, fresh air, and the sound of only panting runners, made me smile no matter how tired I was. I remember thinking how absolutely happy I was at that very moment and thanking God once again for such a great opportunity to run.

The run was much longer than I thought. After throwing all I’ve got during the first few kilometers (a common mistake for overly eager runners), I realized I was tiring out. I was glad to see city roads which meant I was nearing the exchange point, but it was a long ascent towards the finish. I trudged along, made a right turn towards the end, and excitedly searched for my teammates, especially Fast Boy, who was the next runner.

RUN DATA:
Distance: 10km*
Time: 54.19
Ave. Pace: 5:25 min/km*
Ave. Cadence: 87
Ave. Altitude: -12m
Ascent/Descent: 15m/25m

* adjusted from uncalibrated Polar reading

Among the crowd of runners, I yelled out with outstretched hands “Where are my teammates?!!!” They were nowhere in sight. I was about to exit the exchange area until a marshal said it was against the rules. I waited, and waited, and waited. A runner told me “I feel sorry for you. Your team abandoned you.” I didn’t think so, I was sure something had happened. Did they lose their way? Or worse, did they get into an accident? I replied, “Oh, it’s okay. I feel sorry for the next runner who’ll have to make up for lost time.”

After a long wait, my teammates arrived. They mistakenly drove towards the next exchange point, skipping mine. Fast Boy ran his leg and we all entered the van laughing. This little mishap essentially spelled out our van’s mission for the race: to have fun. Other teams would’ve labelled this a “mess up,” or blamed each other for the lost time, but not our team. As we drove off, our van captain, Cool Aussie, said that this little mishap made our race experience all the more richer. In between bites of chicharon, we agreed.

HOTEL BREAK

When all six of us completed our legs, we turned over the band to Van 1 and headed back to the hotel. We showered, rested a bit in our own rooms, and met again at 9 p.m. to head to the next exchange point.

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– Bumping into Team Singapore Noodles just outside the hotel –

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LEG 22: Wet and wild night run

Time: 1:10 a.m.
Weather: Cold and rainy
Temperature: 20C
Description: “Gradual up and downhills on paved but narrow back country roads”

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– It was cold, wet, and dark by the time we reached the exchange point –

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– The start of Leg 2 for all of us at Van 2. Here’s Van 1 turning over the time sheet to Van 2 –

Before my run, CK had run her leg with no incident. As Coco run his tough uphill leg, we had yet another mishap where we waited for him in the dead of the night along the course, only to discover that he had been waiting for us at the finish for some 30 minutes. (It was so dark out that he probably ran past us on the road.) As usual, we had a good laugh about this mishap. Cool Aussie, as usual, ran a fast leg in the dark.

By this time, it was freezing cold. I wore a long-sleeved top, long tights, jacket, beanie, and gloves, yet every time I stepped out of the van, my teeth would start chattering. The rains didn’t help at all.

As I prepared for my second leg, I also wore the reflective night vest over my rain jacket, chose to carry the torch instead of a headlamp, plus I added a cap to wear on top of my beanie. I left the gloves behind. I was nervous and scared about this run. I had never run this early in the morning in the dark, and here I was making my first attempt in unknown territory.

I saw Cool Aussie coming in, grabbed the band from him, and climbed up the narrow trail along with a handful of runners. After a few meters, the terrain changed to paved roads but the ascent was steep—similar to the zigzagged roads of Baguio—that I was short of breath. The thin, cold air made it all the more difficult to breathe. It was so cold that in my second kilometer, my upper lip completely went numb!

I was having some difficulty with the torch, too. In pitch black, with every swing of my arm, the light would sway back and forth ahead of me; it was like running in a disco and it was getting me dizzy. I shut it off for a few seconds, and in an instant, I could see absolutely nothing, I turned it on and swore to God I would never scare myself that way again.

The entire time, I ran on the left side of the road at the edge of the mountain; one misstep and I could fall into nothingness. One time, as I tried to fix my beanie which was sliding off my head, I didn’t realize that I was veering off to the left (one doesn’t notice these things while running full speed ahead in the dark). When I focused my torch on the road, I was so close to the edge that I could’ve slid off in a step or two! Phew.

After the long climb, it was all downhill to the end. I abhor downhills as they’re bad for my knees, so I ran fast but practiced caution. Before I knew it, I could see Fast Boy waiting for me at the end. CK grabbed me by the arm to lead me to the car. Coco asked my time and I looked at my watch in the dark and said “1:10” Geez, 1 hour 10 minutes for approx. 11k? That was slower than expected. No worries, I submitted that time anyway. (It was only when I got back to Manila that I discovered I submitted the time of day, not my actual time! Whoops)

RUN DATA:
Distance: 10.96 km*
Time: 1:00 hour
Ave. Pace: 5:27 min/km*
Ave. Cadence: 88
Ave. Altitude: 29m
Ascent/Descent: 120m/180m

* adjusted from uncalibrated Polar reading

BACK TO SCHOOL

After our van finished our legs, we set off for a local highschool that offered hot showers and sleep areas at their gym for all Hood to Coast runners. For $2, we got to wash up (in a public shower…oh boooy!) and we got to secure our own tiny spot on the gym floor where close to a hundred runners lay in the dark getting as much sleep as they could before it was time to run off again.

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– Our home away from home –

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– Yes, that’s what we needed! –

By 7 a.m., we got up, and without washing our faces nor brushing our teeth, we loaded our van with gas and headed off for the next exchange station.

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– Our view as we entered the car to start our 3rd leg –

LEG 34: Tough and Tiring

Time: 11:22 a.m.
Weather: Cool and rainy
Temperature: 22C
Description: “Very short leg in length with gently rolling hills along paved country roads”

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel sleepy nor tired that morning. I was looking forward to my last leg which, based on the course description, sounded like it was going to be easy. CK had decided to run the last leg with our last runner, Hyper T, so Coco chose to run my seemingly easy leg along with me.

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– Runners that passed us as we waited for our runner, Cool Aussie –

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– Coco yelled out to a male runner “My teammate loves you!” referring to Hyper T. Unfortunately, it was Fast Boy standing beside him! –

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– Photo op with the big red barn while waiting –

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– There’s our runner, Cool Aussie! –

For the 3rd and last time, I grabbed the green wristband from Cool Aussie and ran full speed ahead. Coco stayed right behind me.

By the first kilometer, after one major uphill climb, I yelled at Coco and told him “Go ahead if you want to. I’m super tired.” And, I was telling the truth. I felt like that first climb had yanked all the energy out of me and finally all the hours of running and traveling had caught up with me. I don’t even remember what he answered, but he remained right behind.

So much for “gently rolling hills,” I thought. These hills we were running were not gentle; they were aggressive and angry! The hills would not let up. After one hill, there would be another, and another, and another. I continued to plod on forward, but I was falling apart. Thankfully, on the middle of the road, our van awaited and provided us with Gatorade, which allowed me to push forward once again. We even managed to enjoy the sights when we passed a huge plot of land filled with the most cows I had ever seen.

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– Ack, I get tired just seeing this photo! –

The last uphill was the toughest. It was long and arduous and I felt like I wasn’t making progress even as I took one step at a time. Slowly but surely, we reached the top and a few meters ahead, I saw Fast Boy and turned over the band to him.

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– We did it! –

Wow, we survived! I finished my three legs in one piece and with no injury! What an amazing experience!

RUN DATA:
Distance: 6.85 km*
Time: 35:51
Ave. Pace: 5:14 min/km*
Ave. Cadence: 86
Ave. Altitude: 5m
Ascent/Descent: 50m/35m

* adjusted from uncalibrated Polar reading

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– Race conditions before the last leg for Hyper T and CK. It was cold and muddy –

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– Right before they got their jackets and set off to run –

BEACH PARTY!

The Nike Hood to Coast Race ends at the beach in Seaside, a picturesque little town which came to life with decorated vans and thousands of runners walking about in the streets.

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– Town of Seaside –

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Cool Aussie, Coco, Fast Boy and I headed for the finish area and waited for our runners CK and Hyper T to come in. After a few minutes, we spotted Hyper T and watched her cross the finish line to mark an amazing finish for Team Singapore Chili Crabs.

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– Last few hundred meters towards the finish –

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– Finish line –

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– Nike area –

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– Nike Japan team…heehee –

We met up with the rest of our teammates and Singapore Noodles at the Nike area on the beach. Against the background of the cloudy sky and the Pacific Ocean, we had tons of food to eat, beer, and lot of stories to share for hours.

BEST RACE EVER

The Nike Hood to Coast relay is what you make of it. Our team dove into the adventure with nothing but fun (and a little bit of competitiveness) in mind, so we came home with a treasure trove of happy stories to tell and memories to cherish. I will never forget the three different race experiences I had on those three legs (especially Leg 22), the great teammates I loved being stuck with for over 24 hours in a dirty, stinky van, the many mistakes we made yet laughed about, the beauty of Oregon I saw by foot, and of course, the lessons I learned along the journey. As many of us said after the trip, it was definitely the best race ever!

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– Best teammates! –

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– Singapore Chili Crabs! –

Previous related posts:
Hood to Coast: Aug 26, Wednesday
Hood to Coast: Aug 27, Thursday
Hood to Coast: And the Race Begins!

Hood to Coast: And the Race Begins!

Friday, 4 September 2009  |  Race Reports

Now for the exciting part: (drumroll, please) the Hood to Coast Relay race. Here we go…

Our Team: Singapore Chili Crabs

Singapore Chili Crabs had 12 runners and 2 vans. I was part of Van 2 along with my teammates:

Runner 7: CK
Runner 8: Coco
Runner 9: Cool Aussie
Runner 10: TBR
Runner 11: Fast Boy
Runner 12: Hyper T

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– My Teammates…minus Hyper T –

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– We’re not the fastest…but we’re the happiest! –

The Way It Works

Basically, this is how the relay goes: Each runner runs three legs of approximately 10km each in rotation with the 11 other runners in the team.

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– The Masterplan! –

Van 1 starts off the race with their 6 runners covering Legs 1 to 6. When they are done, Van 2 takes over while the first van eats, bathes, or rests. Van 2 finishes Legs 7 to 12 after which Van 1 takes over again to cover Legs 13 to 18, while Van 2 freshens up. This cycle occurs thrice until the last runner, Runner No. 12, finishes Leg 36 and crosses the finish line at Seaside.

While a runner runs his leg, the 5 others in the team remain in the van and provide support—be it food and drinks, moral support, or the requisite jokes and entertainment . At the same time, the van drives off towards the next exchange point where the current runner will pass the green wristband to the next runner.

The race is non-stop and lasts for over 24 hours (unless you’re freakin’ fast). Our team started on August 28, Friday at 7:30 a.m. We estimated 30 hours to complete the race.

Last Minute Preparations

Since Van 1 started early in the a.m., our team had a leisurely breakfast at a cozy cafe near the hotel. It was quite the antithesis of the race conditions for the days ahead.

We set off to meet Van 1 at the Leg 7 exchange point where our first runner, CK, would grab the green wrist band from Van 1’s last runner, VC, Nike Singapore employee and one of the country’s top female triathletes.

We reached the area to find the parking lot filled with colorful, well-decorated vans and runners warming up, buying last minute supplies, or sun-bathing on mats.

Vans

We purchased more markers, art materials, and a large flower balloon for our van and decided to spruce it up while waiting for VC to come in.

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– Our Van –

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– JUST EAT IT! That’s what we wrote on the paper that Coco and Fast Boy are preparing –

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– Cool Aussie wrote our names all over the van –

First Exchange Point…and Many More

Fast Boy and I accompanied CK to our first exchange point. It was the first of many more exchange points that I would see. The atmosphere was tense and nerve-wracking, but it was also filled with boisterous laughter, constant cheering, and lots of chatter from other runners.

We wished CK the best of luck as she crossed the road towards the exchange point under the sweltering heat of the noon sun. As soon as she set off to run her 10k leg, we jumped into the van and took to the road.

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– CK waits as VC nears –

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– VC finishes a fast 10k despite the heat –

We passed CK twice and gave her liquids to combat the heat. It was as humid as Manila during lunchtime!  We used our Hood to Coast cowbell, which we shook with vigor everytime we passed our runner on the road as we yelled words of encouragement (or sometimes innocuous teasing.)

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– Waiting for CK to pass us on the route –

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– Cool Aussie gives CK a drink. Check out that hill.  That was tiny compared to the other hills CK had to climb in her leg –

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– This is what we do with our idle time on the road –

After that, we went ahead to Leg 8 exchange point where our next runner, Coco, prepared himself as he waited for CK to turn over the green wrist band so he could run next.

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– Exchange point between CK and Coco –

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– Fast Boy hands Coco a gigantic bottle of Gatorade –

After Coco, it was Cool Aussie’s turn. We knew we had to drive fast because Cool Aussie was a fast runner. At the same time, I nervously prepared my run gear: Amphipod water belt, ipod shuffle, and Polar watch, then downed one espresso Hammer gel. All set!

PREVIOUS: Hood to Coast: Thursday
NEXT: Hood to Coast: Best Race Ever!

Hood to Coast: Aug 27, Thurs

Thursday, 3 September 2009  |  Bullish Insights

Second day in Portland and there was no time for jetlag, blogging, or hunger.  This is how I spent the full day prior to Hood to Coast relay race…

RUNNING IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND

On Thursday morning, CK and I stepped out into the cool Portland weather (not unlike Baguio morning weather) for a run around downtown Portland. We ran towards a park—where I was told a Nike running commercial was shot—for a wonderful 5k loop around the river.

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CK and I finished an easy 5k and made our way back to the hotel. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) we lost our way and inadvertently toured the rest of downtown Portland to cover a full 8km run.

SHOPPING

On the same day, our teams headed off to Target to purchase items for the race. Each team had their own cart and checklist. CK and I loaded our cart with bagels, peanut butter, Nature Valley bars, Gatorade, mineral water, garbage bags, baby wipes, and more. Oh, we purchased markers too to decorate our van.

We then headed for a mall and factory outlets where we all went on a mad shopping spree under a limited amount of time.

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THIRSTY THURSDAY

We rushed shopping that day to make it in time for Thirsty Thursday, a Nike employee party at the Nike Campus, almost like a send-off for the various Nike teams registered for the Hood to Coast race the following day.  We saw teams from all parts of the world.  I was told that the strongest team was the Nike Bowerman Team, long and lean elite runners who made any woman drool as she watched them glide in perfect stride (except myself since I’m happily married. Hah!)

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It was held by the Tiger Woods Convention Center, the biggest building of them all, and on the Ronaldo Field, where they say they test running shoes and practice barefoot running on the pristine green grass.

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The party was informal and relaxed. People drank beer and chatted as each team was called onstage to introduce themselves. One could paint temporary tattoos, like the swoosh, on any part of the body. Bowerman shirts and singlets were being sold. Our team got to chat with each other and enjoy each others’ company.

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– with Nike people from Texas and New York –

PRE-RACE BRIEFING

Our dinner/ team briefing was hosted by T at her place. All 24 of us from Singapore Chili Crabs and Singapore Noodles were present.

After a delicious dinner, we sat around T’s living room to listen to our team captain, D, for last minute directions and tips before the big day. He discussed race details such as tracking our time and using timing chips, and laughably covered one important topic as well: hygiene. Of course, this was one important and touchy subject for soon-to-be sweaty runners sharing one van for over 24 hours.

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We departed T’s house early to load our own vans for race day. By 10:30pm, our team was up in our own respective hotel rooms eager to get some rest for the two-day race the following day.

PREVIOUS: Hood to Coast: Wednesday
NEXT: Hood to Coast: And the Race Begins!

Eco Dash: The Ayala Malls Environment Run

Thursday, 3 September 2009  |  Race Announcements

Flyer front

ECO DASH: THE AYALA MALLS ENVIRONMENT RUN
September 13, 2009
28th St. Beside Bonifacio High Street

Registration Period & Venues
Aug 17 to Sept 12 – 10am to 9pm at the ECO DASH Registration booths near the Glorietta Activity Center; near the Ground Floor Concierge booths of Greenbelt 3, Alabang Town Center and TriNoma; Central Plaza Entrance/Exit of Market! Market!; and Nike Park – Bonifacio High Street.

Sept 13 – 4am to 5am at the Race Venue

Registration Fee
P250 for 3KM/5KM
P300 for 10KM/21KM
P400 for on-site, all categories

Registration Procedure
1. Fill up the registration form completely in legible and neat handwriting.
2. Submit accomplished registration forms and pay the registration fees at any of the ff:
– Eco Dash Registration Booths in Ayala Malls or at Nike Park – Bonifacio High Street
– Fax to 671.0907
– E-mail to e_squared@pldtdsl.net
* For faxed/emailed registration forms, registrant must pay the registration fee to finalize their registration.
3. Minors must secure permission from their parent/guardian by getting their signature on the consent line in the registration form.
4. Discounted registration fees:
– Donate any of the ff. recyclable item w/ a minimum weight of 1KG and get P50 off on the registration fee. Accepted recyclables are paper (white, colored or newspapers), aluminum cans, plastics, used ink cartridges and PET bottles. Recyclables proceeds shall go to Bantay Kalikasan.
– A flat fee of P150 for delegations with a minimum of 100 participants. Representative should present a valid ID, plus the list of all participants in the delegation.
5. Registration staff to provide a provisionary receipt that will be used to claim race packet & singlet. Race packet contents are race bib w/ official race number, safety pins & route map.
6. Race packet & singlets may be claimed starting Sept. 1, 2009.
7. Only the first 2000 runners across all Ayala Malls who registered for the 3KM/5KM.10KM/21KM will receive singlets, with the exemption of the members of participating delegations.
8. For those who registered in August, pls. present your provisionary receipt when claiming your race packet & singlet. Claiming period for race packets is only until Sept 12. On-site claiming of race packets shall not be accommodated.

ECO DASH Race Rules & Regulations
1. All participants must wear their race bibs pinned on the front of their singlet/shirt at all times during the race.
2. Changing of race distance categories & assigned runners will only be from Aug 17 to Sept. 12 only.
– Fill out the cancellation slip.
– Present original provisionary receipt & race packet (w/ original race bib) to the registration staff.
– Registration staff will replace the race packet, and/or the assigned runner for the particular race number.
– Those who will make changes on the day of the event, Sept. 13, 4am – 5am, will be required to pay an additional P150 for the 3KM/5KM or P100 for the 10KM/21KM distance categories.
3. Race participants caught deviating from the race route/taking short cuts/exchanging their race bibs with another runner will automatically be disqualified from the race.
4. Should a runner make a protest, s/he must put it in writing & submit the written protest to the Race Organizer w/in thirty (30) minutes of the announcement of the official race winners. A protester is also required to pay a P500 protest fee for every written protest submitted.
5. The decision of the Race Organizer is final.
6. Personalized runner’s certificate, with the runner’s name & finishing time will be available one (1) week after the event at the mall where the registration was made.
7. For inquiries, please contact Liza Calumpong of Exceeding Expectations at 671.2960 / 0917.625.6517 or email: e_squared@pldtdsl.net.

Race Schedule
4:00AM Assembly & On-site Registration
5:00AM 21KM Run Start
5:30AM 10KM Run Start
5:40AM 5KM Run Start
6:00AM 3KM Run Start

Race Facilities
Water Stations – located every 2.5KM along the race route.
First Aid Stations – located at the Start/Finish line, midway along the longest route and ambulance
Toilet and Parking Locations – surrounding race area.
Baggage Area – Beside the race assembly area; open from 4:00 – 9:00am.

Awarding of Medals & Claiming of Prizes
Upon announcement of race winners, the runner must present himself at the Race Secretariat booth.

Prizes
3KM Category (Male and Female)
1st Place – P3,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P2,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P1,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

5KM Category (Male & Female)
1st Place – P5,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P3,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P2,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

10KM Category (Male & Female)
1st Place – P8,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P6,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P4,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate

21KM Category (Male & Female)
1st Place – P10,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
2nd Place – P7,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate
3rd Place – P5,000 Ayala Electronic Gift Certificate