FIFTY runners have signed up for the First Cebu Ultramarathon on Nov. 27. It will start in Balamban and end at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The run, which will be limited to only 100 runners, covers a 50-kilometer distance and runners are required to complete it under eight hours to be considered a finisher.
“For now, we limited the number of runners because we are still introducing this kind of run in Cebu,” said organizer Jonel Mendoza, who is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of Frontrunner.
Runners must also be at least 18 years old.
He said in long distance races like this, runners should have their own support crew.
However, the group will be putting up aid stations every 10 kilometers.
“That’s one of the reasons we are limiting the number of runners because we don’t want to cause traffic on the road when the support crews are following their respective runners,” Mendoza said.
He said they will pay parituclar attention to the safety of the runners.
“I have observed that most of the entries we have right now are runners who have experienced competing in the 21 and 42K,” Mendoza said.
According to him, some hard-core runners will be flying from Manila and from neighboring regions for the ultramarathon.
The Cebuanos will be spearheaded by Atty. Haide Acuña, who joined the 102-kilometer Bataan race last March.
“We want to bring in an ultramarathon in Cebu because there are only a few people from Cebu who are into this kind of run, ” Mendoza said.
The registration fee is P850 inclusive of a finisher’s T-shirt, insurance, packed lunch, drinks and race bib. The registration for the race started last Aug. 20 and will end on Nov. 18. Runners may sign up at the Runnr in Ayala.