Running is alive and well in the Philippines

More and more corporate sponsors are getting into the Philippine running scene and that's good for runners.

Yes, even us non-elite, age groupers, and recreational types. More races simply mean more opportunities to test ourselves, hone our running skills, live out our dreams of breaking that personal record, or simply enjoying a weekend race with birds of the same feather.

So what's out there?

GMA Network just had its “Eleksyon 2010 na, Tatakbo ka Ba?" event at Bonifacio Global City last Sunday. Veteran runners ruled the race as expected - Jujet de Asis stamped his class in the men’s 5K competition, while Alley Quisay (in photo by Scott Kho/GMANews.TV) dominated the field in the 10 K. On the distaff side, Aileen Tolentino won the 10 K and Nhea Ann Barcena ruled the 5K.


And more is yet to come.

Quezon City has the Quezon City International Marathon set for its 70th founding anniversary this year. The event has been reported as one of the richest running events in the country, offering a P3M purse, and drawing an impressive field of 10,000 runners.

ABS-CBN Foundation is staging the Philippine International Marathon on November 8 in a course starting and ending at the Quirino Grandstand. The 42-km race dubbed “A Run for the Pasig River” and open to all runners aims to help the program to rehabilitate the Pasig River. Organizers are said to be expecting 20,000 participants in the marathon (individual and relay), 3K, 5K and 10K runs.

Running is truly alive and well in the Philippines.

I only hope they would bring the races outside Metro Manila, way down south, so runners here could join the fun, too.