THE Cebu Marathon 2025 team issued an apology on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, to all 42K and 25K finishers who did not receive their medals.
In a social media post, it said that this incident marked the first time such an issue had occurred since the event's inception in 2008.
"We sincerely apologize to all the finishers of the 42K and 25K categories who did not receive their finisher's medals," the Cebu Marathon said.
Originally, only runners who finished within the set cutoff times (8 hours for 42K and 4.5 hours for 25K) were eligible for medals, but the rule will now be waived, the post explained.
"As such, ALL 42K and 25K FINISHERS WILL RECEIVE MEDALS, regardless of your finish times," the Cebu Marathon said.
All finishers will receive a medal, with further details on distribution to be sent via email soon. Participants can also contact the organizers directly for assistance.
"In the coming days, we will be sending you individual emails as to when and how you will receive your finisher's medals. You may also email us directly at cebumarathon2025@gmail.com with the subject line: FINISHERS MEDAL," the Cebu Marathon said.
"Again, our apologies and we congratulate everyone who joined and finished the Cebu Marathon 2025," it added.
The 2025 Cebu Marathon, which attracted over 12,000 local and foreign runners, was noted to be successful for some but faced numerous complaints from many participants.
Complaints stemmed from issues with hydration stations, insufficient post-race food, and a shortage of medals, while some felt the event did not meet expectations given the high registration fees. (JGS)