PEOPLE may see the huge turnout—20,005—of the Milo Marathon Cebu leg as the sign of its success, but few know that hundreds toil quietly for the benefit of thousands.

For the Cebu leg, there were more than 800 people who took on the various responsibilities to make sure the event goes on without a hitch.

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Some got paid for their work, others did it for a few class merits, while most were volunteers.

There were 194 race officials, 91 policemen, 65 Citom personnel, 46 medical team members, 234 police interns, 40 bikers, 99 members of the radio group, while 40 manned the water stations.

And for good measure, there were also 20 firemen who sprinkled water at the finish line.

Joel Baring, head of the technical officials, issued orders to the runners at the starting line—-a culmination of months of hard work.

Baring met with the organizers months before the event, working on the route, checking and double-checking it.

“The route was longer by 600 meters this year,” Baring told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday. “Last year we found out that it was short, so we stretched the turning point in Pardo.”

At that turning point in Pardo, a Citom officer, Tata Reyes, kept himself busy directing traffic on a Sunday.

“This is part of our job. We have to make sure that no runner get into any accident,” he said in Cebuano. “We have to do this because there are some drivers who drive fast even if there are still runners on the road.”

Another volunteer, 20-year old Robicar Tapilot, a fourth year BS Criminology student of University of Cebu, was part of the team of police interns who handled crowd control and helped direct traffic.

“This is part of our requirements of our practicum class. In return we get merits,” Tapilot said.

Jun-Jun Cubero, one of the almost 20 volunteers who manned the courtesy booth where participants deposited their bags and other belongings, wanted to go home but he couldn’t.

“There are still two bags left here. I really want to sleep but I can’t leave until all the bags are claimed,” Cubero said.