Category Archives: Race Announcements

All of us World Marathon Majors finishers are always looking out for the next race that’s going to be added to the prestigious list. News came out today that Sydney Marathon may be one of them! Read on below…

The Blackmores Sydney Marathon has officially been announced as a candidate race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) – the first marathon in Oceania to be nominated. 

The announcement marks the commencement of a multi-year evaluation process by AbbottWMM. 

To become a Major, the Sydney Marathon will be required to meet strict criteria over a three-year period and if successful, will join an esteemed group of races – Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW-BERLIN Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon – as a new member of the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2025. 

“We have always believed that the Blackmores Sydney Marathon has what it takes to be an Abbott World Marathon Major, so becoming one of only three candidate races is a tremendous honour”, said Wayne Larden, Race Director, Sydney Marathon. 

“The Sydney Marathon is part of Australia’s largest running festival, the Sydney Running Festival, attracting thousands of participants to run across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and finish under the sails of the Sydney Opera House each year. 

“We can now take a huge leap forward and become one of the most iconic running events in the World and achieving this status would be a tremendous boost for Sydney and Australia. Australia is a proud sporting nation, and we want to call on all of Australia’s runners from all over the country and runners from overseas to support the Sydney Marathon achieve the criteria to become an Abbott World Marathon Major in Sydney” 

Whilst the Sydney Marathon already meets many of the requirements set by the Abbott World Marathon Majors and continual enhancements will be made to the race over the next three years including significant growth of our marathon finishers. 

“We are pulling out all the stops to achieve these goals and greatly appreciate the support of the running community across Australia and Overseas, as well as the support from our partners, sponsors, staff and volunteers who are helping to make this dream a reality.” Larden said. 

The Sydney Marathon and its candidacy for the Abbott World Marathon Majors series is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. 

NSW Minister for Tourism and Sport Stuart Ayres said the candidacy acknowledges the Sydney Marathon as a world-class event with one of the most spectacular marathon courses on the planet. 

“No city in the world has a better combination of natural beauty, love of sport and iconic infrastructure for hosting a marathon than Sydney. The Sydney Marathon is recognised as one of the world’s best marathon events, uniting people of all backgrounds to enjoy an unforgettable running experience. The World Marathon Majors candidacy recognises Sydney as a premier destination to join the great marathon cities of the world, while showcasing Sydney’s natural beauty and desirable lifestyle to a global audience. 

“Achieving the status of an Abbott World Marathon Major would cement Sydney’s position as one of the world’s great sporting event cities. It would attract thousands of visitors to the Harbour City and play a key role in the NSW Government’s ambition to make Sydney and NSW the major events capital and premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific,” Mr Ayres said. 

A legacy event of the Sydney Olympics, the Sydney Marathon will attract some of the world’s greatest long-distance runners and wheelchair athletes to Sydney throughout the candidacy period. The presence of these elite athletes is expected to draw significant interest in the event, lower current finish times and act as a drawcard for age group runners. 

The candidacy also sees Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, become a stakeholder in the Sydney Marathon. The organisation will provide strategic input on both media rights and sponsorship strategy whilst also supporting the event throughout the evaluation phase. 

Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, Senior Vice President Personal & Corporate Fitness at Infront, said: “Sydney is an amazing destination and has an iconic marathon with a strong legacy. Infront is delighted to form part of the efforts to make it an AbbottWMM event in the coming years. The event is already recognised as a success, and we will leverage our expertise, networks, and insights to elevate the event to the next level. We are proud to work in close partnership with the Abbott WMM team, as well as the Sydney team including all stakeholders to make the dream of establishing a WMM event in Sydney, Australia come true.” 

CEO Athletics Australia, Peter Bromley added: Athletics Australia is extremely proud to be the owners of Australia’s greatest running festival. A legacy event of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, it has a long and prestigious history. Building on that, this candidacy opportunity will deliver significant growth to the event and showcase the sport of Athletics far more broadly. We look forward to assisting the event achieve the criteria and become an Abbott World Marathon Major. 

Dawna Stone, recently appointed Abbott World Marathon Majors CEO said, “The Abbott World Marathon Majors are delighted to welcome the Sydney Marathon into the candidate process from 2022. This presents an exciting opportunity to expand our impact into Oceania and further our mission to create, grow and support opportunities for all to discover the power of the marathon community. We look forward to working closely with the team in Sydney as we start this journey together!” 

The marathon is part of the Sydney Running Festival which boasts incredible courses that take in Sydney’s most scenic and iconic landmarks. The Sydney Marathon provides runners with the unique opportunity to run over the spectacular Sydney Harbour Bridge, traffic-free, before crossing the finish line surrounded by the sails of the Sydney Opera House. 

In addition to the Sydney Marathon, Cape Town’s Sanlam Marathon and China’s Chengdu Marathon are currently part of the AbbottWMM candidate process. Only three candidate spots are available. 

The Blackmores Sydney Running Festival including the Sydney Marathon will take place on Sunday 18 September 2022. Early bird entries are open at sydneyrunningfestival.com.au. 

Basecamp is a 12-week running program that will build your base mileage for marathon training. It is essentially the pre-training program to TBR Dream Marathon training.

The running program was designed by certified USATF Level 1 and RRCA running coach and TBR Dream Marathon founder, Jaymie Pizarro, The Bull Runner.

Who can join?

Basecamp is for individuals who are new to running, beginners, or runners who are coming back after a long hiatus.

There are 3 Phases to Basecamp with each phase being 4 weeks:

Phase 1: Jul 4 to 31 – if you are new to running or wish to start running again gently start here

Phase 2: Aug 1 to 28 – if you are a beginner runner ora runners who is returning after a long hiatus start here

Phase 3: Aug 29 to Sep 25 – for beginner runners, runners returning after a long hiatus, or runners who want a light running program to prep them for marathon training

The program is open to runners who are not registered for TBR Dream Marathon.

What do you get?

Here’s what you receive when you join us:

+ Weekly Running plan delivered via Tempo by TBR mobile app
+ Direct messaging to Coach Jaymie for support
+ Exclusive group access on Tempo by TBR mobile app

How does a typical week look?

You will be running 3x a week: 2 weekdays are regular runs while we run a bit longer on weekends. You also have one day of walking. Other days you can choose to rest or cross-train. You can switch the days to accommodate your schedule.

The program encourages run-walk intervals for the program. This means we run then walk for a few minutes and repeat. This method is what we have used for all our marathons with over 6,000 TBR Dream alumni and is based on the Galloway Run-Walk Method of U.S. Olympian and running coach, Jeff Galloway.

All runs are done on your own at your most convenient time and preferred schedule. Runs can be done outdoors or on a treadmill.

How will this help you?

Base training will allow you to gradually increase your running time or distance without putting much strain on your body. This safely builds your fitness level whether you are just starting to run or a runner who is just coming back after a long hiatus. This program will improve your endurance slowly but surely with less risk of injury.

This is a BASE TRAINING program. Our goal is to build your foundation for marathon training, NOT go into full training mode just yet. We will go at an easy pace.

How much is Basecamp?

Each phase (4 weeks) costs only USD7.99 or roughly PHP400. That’s only P100 per week!

If you purchase the entire 12-week program, it’s only USD19.99 or PHP1,000. You save PHP200!

How can I join?

You may register at the link below. We only accept credit card or paypal.

<<<JOIN NOW >>>

Come and join TBR Dream Marathon, my baby, my personal project, and advocacy. It’s the first and only marathon in the world that caters to first- and second-time marathoners.

Now on its 12th year, The Bull Runner (TBR) Dream Marathon will be held on Feb. 12, 2023 at Clark Parade Grounds in Pampanga. Registrants will enjoy a free marathon training program, in-person monthly Bull Sessions (run clinics), virtual monthly Bull Circles (running talks), and a Send-Off Party right before the race. Of course, you’ll also have one of the most memorable experiences of your life when you run your first marathon with us surrounded by the cheers of our volunteer Dream Chasers and the support of your batchmates who will, by that time, be your best running buddies!

This year, we have a lot of new features for the race, such as a new Base Training Program to get beginner runners ready for the training ahead. This is purely option and virtual and begins on July 4. We’ll also have a new mobile app which runners can use to view their marathon program for the week. Just for an additional monthly fee, you’ll get a Strength training program for runners, meditation classes, and weekly motivational tips to get you race ready.

Application opens on JUNE 4, 2022 at 12:00PM. More info about registration HERE. Please read our RACE RULES and FAQ before signing up too.

As always, slots for TBR Dream Marathon run out within a few hours, so we encourage you to save the Application link and show up on time. Click below to access the link:

<<< SIGN ME UP FOR TBR DREAM MARATHON 2023! >>>

We look forward to running with you!

Dear Dreamers – Batch 2020,

Due to the Taal ashfall and its health risks for runners as well as the potential eruption of Taal Volcano in the coming weeks, TBR Sun Life Dream Marathon 2020 will be moving its race venue to CLARK PARADE GROUNDS, Pampanga. Gun start will be moved to 2AM.

Event: TBR Sun Life Dream Marathon 2020
Venue: Clark Parade Grounds (in front of Clark Museum)
Assembly: 1:00AM, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020
Gun start: 2:00AM, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020
Cut off: 10:00AM (8 hours)

Please know that we assessed all possible alternatives and chose this to be the best option for majority of the runners with the HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL RUNNERS as top priority. This move is not something we wanted, but as it is with calamities or emergency situations, we learn how to manage. We made this difficult decision with two priorities in mind.

1. Runners’ safety: As of January 24, Filinvest City was not safe for runners to run in due to ash circulating in the air despite the best efforts of Filinvest City to regularly clean the roads. While Filinvest City advised us that the roads would be safe to run on by February 1, we were still faced with the risk of a possible eruption of Taal Volcano. According to a Phivolcs report (21 Jan 2020, Philippine Star), Taal Volcano is on Alert Level 4, which means that it has the potential to erupt in days. We decided on moving the event to a safer environment rather than risk the health of runners or worse a possible full cancellation of the event should an eruption occur.

2. Runners’ training, schedules and preparations. We had been receiving several questions and concerns about the race: Will it be postponed? Will it be moved? Most of you requested for a change in venue due to booked flights or blocked calendars for race day. We also felt that we had to make a decision as early as we could and not wait for the last minute, such as early February, since you were about to run 30km on January 26. If the race would be postponed after that date, as marathoners ourselves, we knew that you would have hit your peak even before the new race date. That would not have been good for your performance. We knew that deciding earlier would also give you time to prepare for the race in the new venue.

What does this mean for your race entry? Our race rules and regulations state that we do not offer refunds or deferments for whatever reason. You consented to this when you registered for the race. Majority of your race fee has been spent on Bull Sessions and Bull Circles as well as all race giveaways (e.g., finisher’s bags, medals, shirts, etc.), which have been produced. However, we care about you and fully understand your concerns so we decided to allow for deferment. Below are the details:

100% cost deferment to next year’s TBR DREAM MARATHON 2021
This means you’ll get a guaranteed spot in next year’s event. You will NOT have to pay a registration fee for 2021.
• You must be a first or second time marathoner when you register for TBR Dream Marathon 2021.
• We still want to see you! We invite you to still join us at the Send Off Party on Feb. 12, 2020

If you will opt to defer, please fill the form at the link below before JANUARY 31, 2020, 12NN. You will receive an email to confirm deferment by the 1st week of February.  If you will be participating in the race, there is no need to fill up the form.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you, but we are doing our best to work with the situation. I will say this again with all sincerity: This decision was made with your health and safety as top priority. I am crossing my fingers that we’ll see you at the starting line of your first marathon with us at Clark.

If you have any concerns, please email our hotline at tbrdream@gmail.com. You can also send me a direct message on IG @thebullrunner. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

< LINK: No longer available after Jan. 31 >

Gotta Run,

Jaymie
IG @thebullrunner

WHAT: SHAKEY’S COLOR FUN RUN
DISTANCE AND FEES: 3K (P500) and 7K (P600)
VENUE: RC Santos Parade Grounds, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga
REGISTRATION: any Shakey’s store, online at https://www.shakeyspizza.ph/, and on-site at Clark Freeport Zone

In line with its commitment to provide great times and great memories, Shakey’s, the leading casual dining restaurant in the country, is hosting its very own “Color Fun Run” on August 31, 2019. (more…)