Category Archives: Race Announcements

WHAT IS TBR DREAM MARATHON?

TBR Dream Marathon is the first and only marathon in the world that caters to first- and second-time marathoners.  While we focus on giving you the best race of your life on marathon day, February 16, 2014, it is also important to highlight the journey getting there.  TBR Dream Marathon gives you a 22-week marathon training program developed by my co-founder, Jim Lafferty.  Our training this year starts on September 16, 2013.   We also give you free Bull Sessions (run clinics) led by our Principal Coach, Lit Onrubia, and Bull Circles (running talks) given by experts such as Dr. George Canlas, Dr. Randy Molo, and Coach Jim Saret once a month leading up to the race.  The best part of this all is running with 799 other runners who will share the same concerns, fears, joys, and triumphs with you as you work towards your dream.

On February 16, 2014, it will be the 5th TBR Dream Marathon so it will be an extra special occasion for us and our runners.

RESERVATION OPEN ON AUG. 9 AT RUN.PH

So, now, what most of you have been waiting for!  Announcing the opening of RESERVATION for TBR Dream Marathon 2014!  Details below:

• WHAT: Reservation for TBR Dream Marathon 2014 opens. 800 slots only.  First come, first served basis.  Strictly for first- or second-time marathoners only.
• WHEN: FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013 at 12:00 noon
• WHERE: Run.ph, our official registration partner
• HOW MUCH: Reservation of slots is FREE OF CHARGE. If you qualify registration fee of P3,200 will be collected during the registration period.

Just to give you an idea about how fast this thing will go.  Last year, all 800 slots were filled within 55 minutes.  And that was with my blog crashing twice because of the  unexpected load.  This time, we’ve collaborated with Run.ph to give you a smoother reservation experience.  Run.ph is owned by a friend and TBR Dream Alumni himself, Raymond Racaza, and I thank him for supporting us and our Dreamers.

LAUNCH OF TBR DREAM WEBSITE: www.tbrdream.com

Now, here’s another surprise!  For those of you who don’t know much about TBR Dream Marathon yet, we’ve also launched our TBR Dream Marathon website: www.tbrdream.com to provide you with all the info you need BEFORE you sign up for the marathon.

Take the time this week to browse through the website and decide if this dream is for you.  Read ABOUT TBR DREAM MARATHON, the 15 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN TBR DREAM MARATHON, and browse through the TESTIMONIALS of some of our TBR Dream Alumni. Go through our RACE RULES & REGULATIONS so you know what you’re getting into and get some of your questions answered in our FAQs.  Don’t forget to go out and ask your running friends too and hear first-hand stories about their Dream Marathon experience.

Then, when all the research is done, sit down and think about this marathon dream of yours and decide if you’re willing to commit to it.  If it’s a yes, then we hope to run with you soon on the road towards TBR Dream Marathon 2014!

To stay updated, best to check this blog, tbrdream.com, follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Wow, I am so glad we’re finally having something like this in Manila! I think it’s great that these services are being offered to triathletes. Even better how coaches and companies are collaborating to further grow the sport.

Event: Pinnacle Camp
Date: July 11-21, 2013
Venue: Pico de Loro Beach & Country Club, Primo Cycles, Focus Athletics

Pinnacle Camp Leg 1: July 11-15 Zoom In Zones Testing

Lactate Test, VO2Max, Power Zones, HR Zones, Etc.
To be conducted by: Radek Valenta
Former Pro European Tour Cyclist, Australian Institute of Sport-Trained,
Coach to Olympian Triathletes and Cyclists, www.zoominzones.com.au
Venues: Primo Cycles July 11-14 Bike Trainer / Focus Athletics July 15. Treadmill/ Bike Trainer Option
Fees: P 8,500.00 for Zoom In Zones Testing
Or avail of the RETUL Bike Fit Plus Testing Package only from July 11-14: P15,000.00
By Master Bike Fitter Glenn Colendrino *only a handful of slots left due to pre-booking

Pinnacle Camp Leg 2: July 16-18 Gatorade Sports Science Institute Testing

To be conducted by: The Gatorade Sports Science Institute
Venue: Focus Athletics
July 16– Gatorade sweat test/ July17– Hydration planning and Physical Assessment/ July 18– Functional TrainingFees: none *20 slots only

Pinnacle Camp Leg 3: July 19-21 The Pinnacle Training Weekend

To be conducted by:
Dan and Ani Brown of The Next Step
Andy Leuterio of Alpha Training Systems
Ige Lopez of Transition One
Betsy Medalla of Just Add Water
Venue: Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club

July 19 Fri: 4pm, 3k Open Water Swim/ July 20 Sat, 6am Long Brick, 5pm Recovery Swim/ July 21 Sun, 7am Run Session, pm Optional Recovery Swim

Fees: No Coaching Fees, *20 slots only. For Pico Sands Hotel Bookings, email- reservations@picosandshotel.com

To Reserve your slot for each leg, email nextsteptri@gmail.com
Gatorade and Enervon HP drinks available during sessions
Timex, Enervon Activ, Aquasphere, Yurbuds, 2XU and Rudy Project items up for grabs!

The Unilab Active Health Pinnacle Camp
The Next Step
in Cooperation with Zoom In Zones, Alpha Training Systems, Transition One, and Just Add Water
Co-Presented by Gatorade, Enervon HP, Enervon Activ, Rudy Project, Timex, Aquasphere, 2XU & Yurbuds

Just one month to go until Cobra Ironman 70.3 and Alaska Ironkids! I was at the presscon a few days ago to learn more about the upcoming event.

– Women Power! with Vimz of Kulit Runner, Lara Parpan of Women’s Health, and Ani de Leon of The Next Step Tri Camp –

– with Ton Gatmaitan representing Gatorade, Anton Gonzales of KSwiss, and Yong –

Mr. Fred Uytengsu, the man behind Ironman 70.3 Philippines, announced that the swim will be slightly modified from last year’s route.  It will have a deep water start in waves.  Use of timing chip starts had yet to be decided upon.  The bike route will be the same as last year’s course (ack headwind again!)  And, the run has been slightly modified.

Kenneth Cobonpue also unveiled his new design for the medal.  The blue in metal symbolizes the swim, the black rubber for the bike, and the brass for the run portion.

– Ironman 70.3 Cebu 2013 Medal designed by world renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue –

Here’s some interesting facts shared about Ironman 70.3 Cebu 2013 during the event:

Individual Category
Female 262
Male 1519
Total 1781

Relay Category
All Male Teams 57
All Female Teams 22
Mixed Relay 43
Total Teams 122
Total Members 366

Total Participants
Individual 1781
Relay 366
Grand Total 2147

PRESS RELEASE: The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines returns to Cebu, the country’s number one tourist destination, as the province hosts its fifth edition as well as the Alaska Ironkids Triathlon on August 3 – 4, 2013.

Already in its fifth year the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 has become the biggest and best Ironman 70.3 race in this part of the world with over 2,000 participants from 35 countries across six continents. All slots for the race were sold out four days after they were offered to the public and more than 600 individuals are on the waiting list.

The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines starts with the 1.2-mile swim in open water at the beach of the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa in Mactan Island on August 4.

The 56-mile bike ride will traverse four cities (LapuLapu, Mandaue, Cebu City and Talisay). The culminating 13.1-mile run will be at Punta Engano, Lapu-Lapu City.
Race organizer Sunrise Events, Inc. expects the coming race to top the wildly successful races of the past four years confident that this year’s race will be its biggest and most exciting ever.

Alaska Ironkids Triathlon will be held at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa on August 3. It is the local junior version of the international Ironkids triathlon series. It is open to youngsters age 6 to 14 years old and aims to promote health among the young through proper nutrition and an active lifestyle.

Leading the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines are the professional triathletes notably three-time champion Pete Jacobs of Australia. Jacobs is a regular fixture of the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines. He will gun for a fourth consecutive victory after winning the past three editions in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
He will have his hands full against Cameron Brown of New Zealand and Alaska Team TBB’s Mathieu O’Halloran who placed second and third in the 2012 race. Other male professionals to watch out for include Ben Allen Australia, Fredrik Cronberg of Sweden and Michael Murphy of Ireland.

Defending women’s champion Caroline Steffen of Alaska Team TBB returns to defend her crown. Her strongest challenge will come from 2011 champion and 2012 third placer Belinda Granger who is fresh from her triumph at the Century Tuna 5i50 Triathlon in Subic last June.

Expected to compete for the crown are Bree Wee from the United States (who placed second last year), Alaska Team TBB’s Christie Sym, and Jacqui Slack of Great Britain.

The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines is a qualifier for the IronMan World Championships Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada on September 8.

For more information, check out the Cobra Energy Drink IronMan 70.3 Philippines website, www.ironman703phil.com.

All roads lead to adidas King of the Road 2013 on July 7, 2013 with the 10k and 16.8k race categories.  Runners of all shapes and sizes have been seriously training for the race and anticipating a well-attended event.  Among those that are expected to show off their running prowess on race day are two of the top elite runners in the country who are expected to defend their titles as King and Queen of the Road: Eduardo “Vertek” Buenavista and Mary Grace delos Santos.

I got to interview Vertek and Mary Grace to learn the secrets of these two winning runners.  (Hope you don’t mind. I translated them from Tagalog into English already):

KING OF THE ROAD 2012: EDUARDO BUENAVISTA, 34 years old
Best times:
5k – 13:58.43  – 2002 Asian Games, Busan, South Korea
10k – 29:02.36 – 2002 Asian Games, Busan, South Korea
21k – 1:03.42 – Incheon, South Korea
42k – 2004 2:18:44 – Beppu Oita Marathon, Oita, Japan

– Eduardo Buenavista wins first place at adidas KOTR 2012 –

QUEEN OF THE ROAD 2012: MARY GRACE DELOS SANTOS, 26 yrs old
Best times:
5k – 17:44
10k – 37:49
21k – 1:20
42k – 2:49

–  Mary Grace delos Santos wins first place at adidas KOTR 2012 –

TBR: How long have you been running?

EB: I started my professional career as a runner last 2000 but I’ve been running since high school as a track and field athlete. I got to join the 1997 Palarong Pambansa when I was in 4^th year high school in which I ran the 1500, 3000, and 5000 meter events.

MD: Since 9 year’s old up to the present.

TBR: What are the top medals you’ve earned from running?

EB: It was during the 1998 National open that I won 1^st place in the 1500, 3000 and 5000 meter events.

MD: Malaysia Standard Marathon, Hong Kong Standard Marathon, 2012 KOTR Singapore Asia Championship, National Milo Marathon Final.


TBR: What distance do you enjoy running the most?

EB: I enjoy running the 10k distance. Short and easier to manage.

MD: 10k, 21k, and 42k.


TBR: Tell us more about your experience running adidas King of the Road last year.

EB: I joined the 16.8 distance and won 1^st place for the Men’s Filipino category with a time of 54.39mins. By winning the Filipino category, I won Php 30,000 and was sent to Singapore to represent our country in the Adidas KOTR Southeast Asian Championship in which I won 1^st place with a time of 53:12 minutes.

MD: I ran the 16.8k in 1 hour and 3 minutes. 
I won the cash prize and a trip to Singapore to represent the Philippines for KOTR Asia Championship. 


TBR: How did you train for adidas KOTR 2012?

EB: I was training for both Milo Marathon and adidas KOTR that time.  I did my speed workout in the morning and road race training almost everyday.

MD: I trained every day that time because I was preparing for the upcoming Milo National Finals.

TBR:  Are you ready for adidas KOTR 2013?  How’s training been for you?

EB:  Yes. So far so good. Right now I’m focusing on developing my speed in preparation for KOTR and also for SEA Games where I will compete in the full marathon event.

MD: I’m not as prepared this year for KOTR because I haven’t had much time to train due to work.

TBR:  Why did you decide to join KOTR 2013 again?

EB:  I want to defend my title here the Philippines as King of the Road but most especially I want to represent our country again in the KOTR Southeast Asian Championship.

MD: I joined the KOTR to participate and support the KOTR and I love to run.

TBR:  What advice can you give to other runners?

EB: To my fellow runners who want to achieve a better time, I only have a few words for them. Discipline, dedication and hard work are the keys to success.

MD: My only advice is that you should have self-discipline, proper training, and always listen to your coach. 

WHAT’S NEW AT ADIDAS KING OF THE ROAD 2013?

Aside from bumping into Vertek and Mary Grace on race day, there are other things to look forward to at adidas KOTR 2013.

For 2013, adidas opened a new category exclusively for students 25 years old and under. The 10K Relay for Students is set specifically to encourage the youth to get into a healthy, active lifestyle and to give them a chance to represent their alma mater.

On race day, adidas will also be rolling out BOOST™ to more of their adidas running products. It will come in more colors, too.  What is BOOST™? It’s a groundbreaking innovation in adidas footwear technology featuring superior cushioning that allows runners to store and unleash energy more efficiently with every stride. The new Energy Boost collection will be available worldwide at adidas Sport Performance stores and selected retailers on July 7, 2013, race day, at PHP 7995. Visit www.facebook.com/adidas for more information.

adidas King of the Road will be on July 7, 2013 at Bonifacio Global City.  To register visit: http://adidaskingoftheroad.com/ph/index.php

Are you a student in your teens or older? If you’re nodding your head right now, then this article is for YOU. If you are only wishing you were in your teens and you currently have a relative—your child, nephew/niece, godchild, or, heck, grandchild—then do them a favor and forward this article to them.

Most students nowadays are neck deep in studies, social life, and even social media. That’s completely understandable because you only live once (YOLO!) and college (and even high school) are the best years of your life. But, take it from me–your fairly young godmother who only started running at the ripe old age of 30 (yikes!)–it’s best that you start getting fit and healthy as early as possible. In fact, experts say that students like you should have a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every single day. What’s the best way for you to get fit without taking too much time away from student life? For me, it’s gotta be running! (By the way, I’m biased. So, if you find passion in other sports or activities, then by all means, go ahead too. Anything as long as you get moving!)

So, just for you, I’ve prepared the Top 10 reasons why every student should run:

1) You’ll be happier
There was a study conducted by researchers at Tufts University and they discovered that students who exercised at least 3 days a week were more likely to report better health and more happiness than those who didn’t exercise.

2) You’ll boost your brain power
A study in Japan showed that students scored better in mental tests after running. Another study in the University of Illinois showed that 18-24 year olds were better at decision making after they ran.

3)You’ll take care of your heart.
Running reduces your chances of getting heart disease later in life. I know, it’s too early for you to think of that, but still!

4) It makes you fitter…and sexier…and increases your chances of getting a good date.
Running burns more calories than any other activity there is.

5) For girls, it gets rid of PMS and menstrual pain.
Need I say more?!

6) You’ll make new friends.
Running is a great social activity. You can chat while getting fit. You’ll also meet more like-minded people who would enjoy fun and healthy activities.

– with friend and adidas ambassador, Ani de Leon, at adidas KOTR 2009 –

7) You’ll become more confident.
Running can boost your self-esteem especially when you accomplish a goal you were aiming for.

8) You’ll beat stress.
Are you stressed over exams and homework? A short run can leave you feeling energized and ready to study better.

9) You’ll feel better about your body.
You’ll feel stronger and fitter. Even better, you’ll be more conscious about taking care of your body.

10) It’s fun!

– adidas KOTR 2008 with blogger friends Marga, Dindo, and Doc Joe –

A great way to motivate yourself to run is by setting a goal for yourself like joining a 10k run. One of the races that runners are looking forward to is the adidas King of the Road on July 7, 2013 at Bonifacio Global City.

This year, adidas King of the Road is opening a new category exclusively for students 25 years old and under.
The 10K Relay for Students is set specifically to encourage you guys to get into a healthy, active lifestyle and to give you a chance to represent your alma mater. How cool is that?!

Students need to team up in pairs – one male and one female – with each running 5K to complete the total 10K distance. Winners don’t just get individual cash prizes; you will also win prizes for your school! Join now!

To register visit: http://adidaskingoftheroad.com/ph/index.php

For more news, updates, and promos on adidas KOTR 2013, visit www.facebook.com/adidas or follow the conversation with #kotrph2013.