THE best 93 runners in an elimination race in Cebu will get a chance to represent the region and compete in the national finals of Laban ng Lahi 2018 Global 18KM Team Challenge on Sept. 11 in Cabadabaran, Agusan del Norte.

The elimination race in Cebu is slated on Aug. 26 in Lapu-Lapu City, and the fastest 93 runners will get an all-expenses-paid trip to the national finals.

The top 93 runners will be divided into three teams that will represent Cordova, Shangrila’s Mactan Resort and Spa, and the Central Visayas Region in the national finals.

The teams will run the unique 18K race in the national finals, but they will have to run and finish as a unit. Teams will have chants and will also wear costumes, like the Igorot team that will be wearing their traditional garb, the bahag.

“Our main objective is tourism, to promote the Philippines to the whole world,” said organizer Joenel Pogoy in a press conference yesterday in the Wellcome Hotel. “We want the provinces to form a team and promote unity in the country.”

Winners in the national finals will get a hefty prize of P3 million, P1 million to the area for road construction and a donation to their chosen charity organization.

There will be two distances in the Cebu eliminations, 10K and 5K. The winner of the 10K run will pocket P15,000, while the winner of the 5K run will get P5,000.

Boxing superstar and Senator Manny Pacquiao is supporting this event and will be running with the Sarangani Gladiators in the national finals.

In the previous Laban ng Lahi run in Cebu, there were a lot of disgruntled runners after they weren’t given their cash prizes after the race.

Pogoy apologized and took the blame. He said that his former partners and race organizer here in Cebu had abandoned him.

“I’m not a scammer. I’m also a victim. This is not an excuse and I take all the blame,” said Pogoy. “I assure you this is not a scam.”

Pogoy invited one of the runners, Joseph Emia of Omega Tri Team, and handed him his cash prize yesterday. EKA