Thursday, January 10, 2008 Top runners sign up for Sinulog 21K run
EVEN if it comes a week after another half marathon unfolds, organizers of the Mizuno-Shell Sinulog 21K run said big name runners have confirmed their participation for the Jan. 19 run.
Cebu Executive Runners Club president Jesse Taborada also said in a press conference yesterday at Moon Café that Cebu City Vice-Mayor Michael Rama will run in the 5K category as well as fire the starting gun.
Cerc founding president and race director Raffy Uytiepo also said runners like the multi-awarded Liezl Geteruelas, brothers Eugene and Joel Delposo, and Mendel Lopez from University of Southern Philippines will also join their event.
Geterualas, an aerobics instructor, won every race she competed last year and also topped the Halad kang Mano Amon Run, Southwestern Power Run and the Move 5K Run earlier last month.
The Delposo brothers also had a 1-2 finish in the “Halad kang Mano Run”, the Move 5K Run, while Lopez topped the Kapamilya, USC and SWU Runs.
Meanwhile, two running clubs from Iloilo, the Pro-Sports and the Iloilo Oval Runners, and the Silay Road Runners Club of Negros Occidental will also be joining the event.
Organizers also expect participants from running clubs from Davao, Manila and Cagayan de Oro.
“We want to make this marathon as successful as possible, as safe as possible, and as big as possible in support for the Sinulog also,” said Taborada.
He also said that the 21K Marathon is the first in Cebu to be part of the Sinulog and be sanctioned by the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association.
“We want to have the race sanctioned by Patafa to make sure the route is accurate, and to organize the race according to Patafa and international standards. We also want this Cebu marathon to be the standard marathon here,” said Uytiepo.
Making it a 21k run instead of the full marathon will also allow some of the runners to participate in the Pasig Full Marathon on Feb. 24.
Registration for the event will be at the Cebu City Sports Center at the Mizuno shop in SM City, Holiday Gym and Spa and at the Sug-angan Restaurant at J. Lorente St.
The registration fee for the 21K run is P250K, P150 for the 5K. Students who want to join either the 21K and the 5K runs will only pay P95.
The champion in the men’s category will get P20,000, split into P10,000 cash and P10,000 worth of sporting goods while the next two placers will get P12,000 and P8,000.
The top three winners in the women’s division will get P15,000, P10,000 and P5,000. (NSM)
