ORGANIZERS of the 8th All-Women Ultra Marathon (Awum) are asking the public to cooperate and give way to the runners. The event will start at the Terraces of Ayala Center Cebu on March 9 at 10 p.m. and will also end at the same venue on March 10.
“We are 100 percent ready. We would just like to ask for the public’s cooperation for the success of this event, most especially Sabado na ting-gimik, ting-laag,” Awum race organizer and Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said.
They also appeal to the convenience stores and gasoline stations along the race route to make their comfort rooms available to the participants.
“There will be police visibility and medical teams deployed along the routes,” he added.
The All-Women Ultra Marathon race is a 50-kilometer running event exclusively for women. It was organized by the group ThinkTank back in 2012.
Since the first race, some 915 women runners have joined the event. The 10-hour race is dedicated to celebrating women empowerment in line with the international celebration of Women’s Month.
“This is our way of paying back. Kasagaran mu-join og marathon sa una mga laki. Women were just confined as a support group, but we wanted to involve them,” Garganera added.
Ledoy Mendoza, a member of the Awum organizing committee, said 28 food and hydration posts will be stationed around the race routes.
“We have 28 volunteer running clubs. Lain-lain og pakulo; ang uban naay massage station, make-up or retouch station, lactating station,” he said.
Per tradition, the finishers will also receive roses at the finish line.
A total of 350 participants will join this year’s Awum race with 140 of them first-timers.
Dr. Willie Estepa, race director, said the oldest participant to join the race is a 63-year-old chief of the DILG office in Catbalogan, while the youngest registered 2019 Awum runner is an 18-year-old.
“Our oldest participant this year is a 63-year-old. It will be her fourth time to join the race. We also have two Australians and a Filipino-American who will be joining us,” he said.
Garganera also said that Sen. Pia Cayetano might also join this year’s Awum.
“She joined in 2016 and 2018,” he said.
For the 8th Awum, 305 slots were available in the draw while 20 slots were reserved for the 2018 top 20 runners, and another 25 for the aid sponsors in the 2018 edition. (Wenilyn B. Sabalo, USJ-R Intern)