TWO of my favorite sports are running and cycling. Unfortunately for Cebu, we don’t have safe venues for both.
That’s why I’m grateful for two Sunday initiatives at the Cebu I.T. Park and at the Mandaue City - F.E. Zuellig Avenue.
I’ve been a runner since 2007. The year after, I completed my first 42K. And up until today, I still enjoy the pounding of one’s legs on the asphalt and that “runner’s high.” But in nearly 20 years of running in Cebu, I’ve had to face dangerous moments. Our narrow Cebu roads are not meant for running.
I compare this to Iloilo City, the place where I was born and where the Zaldarriaga side of our family still lives.
Iloilo has the Diversion Road — an eight-lane highway with wide sidewalks. Then there’s the Esplanade, a 9.29-kilometer riverside stretch exclusive for walkers and runners and considered the country’s longest linear park. Every day, thousands exercise there.
Iloilo also has the Sunset Boulevard. This just opened last year and it’s a 5-km. road from Mandurriao to Oton. If you’re going to my wife Jasmin’s hometown of Guimbal, this is a welcome shortcut that will cut your travel time by 20 minutes. Sunset Boulevard is another venue (with generous sidewalks) for runners and bikers.
Cebu, sadly, has none of this kind of infrastructure. That’s why I welcome the “Car Free Sundays” initiatives of Ayala Center and the Mandaue City government.
At the Cebu I.T. Park every Sunday from 5:00 to 10:00 a.m., a one-kilometer rectangular loop (consisting of two lanes) is completely closed to vehicular traffic. If there’s a 5K fun run organized at the Central Bloc mall, this area closes at 4:00 a.m.
This is perfect for runners! Never mind if it’s a repetitive loop, it’s very, very safe. Just yesterday, my daughter Jana and I completed 25K there. You can park your vehicle nearby for hydration and banana supplies. If you need to use the toilet, The Walk’s CRs are available. Most of the area is shaded until past 8 a.m. And, best of all, if you want to run with different people, you just do a counterflow and you’ll easily meet them.
The “Car Free Sundays” at the Cebu I.T. Park has been going on since June 2024.
BIKING. For those who pedal, another venue is ideal: the Mandaue City - Zuellig Ave. road. This is at the back of Cebu Doctors’ University at the North Reclamation Area, Mandaue.
The entire stretch (from the corner of the soon-to-rise Mantawi Residences all the way to Mandani Bay) is four (4) kms. Long. If you’re a cyclist, especially one who is training for a time trial position, this is perfect. The road is closed to vehicular traffic from 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. every Sunday. This started in March 2022.
Yesterday, I had the chance to meet Joy Tabal, the head of sports in Mandaue City, and I thanked her for this initiative that not only helps promote fitness but also helps save lives.