Limpag: It takes a community to run 21K

IN LAST Sunday’s Milo 21K race in Cebu, Nora Rosete Tecling headed to the South Road Properties (SRP) to give up.

She was almost unable to bear the heat and was ready to quit at the turning point near the Cebu Institute of Technology University but Dan Morales, a member of the Ungo Runners, a group that runs every Friday night from Sun.Star Cebu to the IT Park, told her to continue at least until the SRP where he would wait for her.

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Morales manned the mobile water station of the Ungo Runners at the CIT in Sunday’s Milo Marathon Cebu leg. He hadn’t slept since Saturday and spent the early morning hours of Sunday going through the Milo 21K route to count the number of water stations and find where he could set up his own station to serve ice-cold water and Gatorade to Ungo Runners.

With several Ungo Runners joining their first official 21K last Sunday, the group decided to field mobile water stations to make sure members were well-hydrated on race day. Bikik Besavilla started the initiative by managing to get contributions from Summit. She would be helped by daughter Mil and Niña Igaña.

Milo had set the tone for generosity earlier that week. The company gave away 400 shoes to students of Tejero Elementary School and the good deed was matched by the local running community.

Morales offered to take charge of the V. Rama stretch but decided to move to CIT upon seeing two water stations on the street. Louela Rosal stepped forward to volunteer to man the crucial SRP water station. She too didn’t sleep since Saturday.

Ayala Center Cebu division manager Joy Polloso, herself an ungo runner, said that
since she wasn’t able to register, she would man one of the water stations. Dr. Orlando Osorio and wife Jojo also quickly signed up to volunteer. The SRP team was completed by Ceejay Polloso and Joesieron Pajuelas Uy. Members of the SRP team did not know each other before that day. They didn’t even know where exactly they would meet.

All they knew was that all of them were Ungo Runners and they were there to help members of their running family.

The groups, however, did not limit their assistance to Ungo Runners, giving out cold water and Gatorade to all runners who made it to the heartbreak highway.

And so it was the case that when Tecling reached the SRP to look for Morales to quit, she was met by a full complement of Ungo volunteers. Tecling said that when she entered SRP, she was looking for Morales’ car to give up. But Morales would have none of it. He encouraged the 21K first-timer to continue the race.

“Kaya nimo na! (You can do it.),” Dan said. “Dili na, Dan. Init na kaayo. Dili na nako kaya! (No. It’s too hot. I can’t finish the race),” Tecling said.

“Naa ko’y payong sa auto. Huwaton ta ka. (I have an umbrella. I’ll wait for you),” Dan said.

With that and with Morales’ pledge he would drive by her side, Tecling continued to the “layo pa kaayo (very distant)” turning point at the SRP. She got the umbrella at the Sugbo Building, unfolded it and ran with it.

Marshals later told Morales to tell “his runner to give up,” “hindi na kaya!” But Morales was insistent. Ungo Runners have been training on the three bridges for several Sundays for that one goal—a Milo half-marathon medal. Morales was determined Tecling would get hers.

At the SRP bridge, an ambulance sidled up to Tecling but her determination had set in.

She was suffering but she would finish. She would not give up. She was later met by Ungo Runners Dindz Bartolabac, Marben Golez, Rico Dale Petallar and Daryl Ygot.

She was cheered on by the SRP group, which had gone to P. del Rosario St., and fellow
runners Tito and Irene Vildosola, Axl Aclibar, Ritchell Selma and Victor Chan.

Just as organizers were starting to disassemble the Milo finish line arch on Sunday, Tecling entered the Cebu City Sports Center to the boisterous cheers of Ungo Runners waiting for her and paced by a group of five men, one holding the umbrella for the runner on the cusp of fainting. She crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 12 minutes and 10 seconds, cried and said a loud prayer, “Thank you, Lord!”

I failed to meet my race goal of setting a personal record last Sunday. But that’s marginalia to a profound lesson I learned that day—it takes a community to run a difficult race.

I’ve never been prouder to be an Ungo

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 8, 2010.