Saturday, March 15, 2008 Different folks in Manunggal adventure race
TRIATHLETES, adventure racers, marathon runners, foreigners, parents, kids—people from all walks of life will be represented in today’s cash-rich Mt. Manunggal adventure race dubbed the Paghandum ni Magsaysay Adventure Trip.
“We have different kinds of people and athletes competing in the race,” said organizer Mon Vidal.
As of yesterday, seven teams have signed up for the elite race, while 12 have registered for the fun category. The number of teams is expected to increase as organizers will still be accepting entries this morning, before the racers are released at 8 a.m.
Free ride
For the participants, organizers had arranged a free ride to Mt. Manunggal.
“Racers can avail themselves of the free ride at the Kumbira restaurant near JY square. The bus will leave at 5:30 a.m.,” Vidal said.
The race will start and finish at the Mt. Manunggal campsite. The racers need to tackle 10 control points (CPs) that is spread all over the mountain. The CPs for the fun category are relatively found in relatively easier spots compared to the more complex route of the elite division.
“The CPs are so scattered that they will find themselves from Tabunan (the foot of Manunggal) to the Transcentral highway,” Vidal said. The racers will reach the highway because that is the bike area for the race.
Vidal said that they also set CPs in between farms and ricefields and other picturesque sites that have never been explored before.
“A lot of people still do not know about these places and we are somewhat introducing these areas to everyone,” Vidal added.
Vidal promised an exciting race as they made sure that it will be filled with thrilling challenges for the participants. However, they cancelled a caving challenge to ensure the racers’ safety. “The weather has been unpredictable these days and if it rains, water will get inside the cave so we deferred the cave challenge,” he said.
Challenges
There will still be the Tyrolean traverse, cycling and other disciplines that will keep the adrenalin pumping.
The competition stakes P10,000 for the winning elite team with P6,000 and P3,000 for the runners up. Fun division winners will receive P3,000, P2,000 and P1,000 respectively.
Different sporting events are being held this weekend for the annual climb held in commemoration of the 51st death anniversary of former president Ramon Magsaysay, whose plane crashed in Mt. Manunggal. This annual climb has become a regular pilgrimage for mountaineers, until recently, when the local government of Balamban decided to boost it with various activities. MCB
