Running for fun

WITH a total of 114 fun run and marathon events registered at Davao City's Business Bureau in 2012, it is obvious that running has been a regular leisure activity for most health conscious Dabawenyos.

Fun run events in the city have been in demand for various reasons. For one, there are just so many running enthusiasts in the city who would look for a venue to either have fun running with their friends and families or test their mettle against elite runners.

With this, organizers pry on the opportunity to hold fun run events mostly because their events serve as fundraisers for different beneficiaries.

Staff in-charge of the administration section of the Business Bureau Kareen S. Cuevas, in an interview, said in the vernacular: "There are many fun run events being organized in the city since the process is easy. First, they will have to get a permit from this office worth P150 and then attend a briefing and seminar conducted by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO). They will then have to get the approval of the Traffic Management Center (TMC) and Davao City Police Office (DCPO)."

From there, organizers will have to prepare singlets and look for sponsors who will provide the perks inclusive in the registration fees for the runners. Plus, they will have to publicize their upcoming event to attract registrants.

In an average, around 1,000 to 1,500 runners join fun run events. And with registration fees ranging from P200 to P500, having that average of registrants means these events are very lucrative as well.

Among the organizations that thrive on organizing fun runs is the Vantage Sports Promotions (VSP) under its president Kenneth Sai. VSP continues to hold major running events in the city just like the annual Milo Marathon, Timex Run and other sure-fire events that virtually attract some 2,000 to 3,000 runners.

Another organization that has been organizing fun runs in the city is the Runman Racing under its head Tom Tan. Runman Racing has organized the annual Kadayawan Phoenix Run, the annual Shrine Hills Challenge and other exciting fun runs.

The different fun runs being organized also resulted to the emergence of different running groups such as the Davao Sunday Runners Club (SunRun), Team Davao Runners (TDR) and Team Titans Davao (TTD).

TTD president Dr. Ricardo Audan, in an interview said, running is definitely one of the most healthy exercises as it helps reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems. He added that fun runs add more fun and excitement in maintaining and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Fun runs will continue to be a trend in Davao City as organizers continue to gain profits at the same time helping their chosen beneficiaries while runners continue to have fun while keeping themselves in shape.