Mailbag Time : On Mistaken Identities , BDM 102, Gay Handles, and the Timex Run

Ever since I put the mailbag up, I have been pleasantly surprised with the creative input (or absolute crap, it's a love/hate relationship) you guys have been sending in. Haven't really had the time to compile this, but here is more or less what's fit for print :P I also just realized how many people named "Anonymous" hate my work. Haha kidding. Okay maybe just a little bit.

So here goes!


Q: I was hanging out at ULTRA with Sam the Running Ninja when some dude with a camera asks for a picture. I say, sure why not. As I'm about to pose, he promptly hands me the camera, to have his photo taken with Running Ninja dude. I have to admit, my feelings are hurt. What should I do?

- Cris S.


GBM : The solution is simple - stop hanging out with Sam! You don't even have a fighting chance. How many Men's Health appearances have you made? Sam 1, Cris o. Alas, that's the plight we have in the current running scene. Despite winning this year's Milo Nationals, a recent poll I ran showed only 1% would recognize you walking down the street, and that was probably Sam who voted. Heck, even I don't know how you look like, only because by the time I finish a race you're already done eating your post-race breakfast. We need to increase the public profile of elite runners like you, to serve as inspiration to a new generation of runners amidst the current boom. So if you need a comprehensive PR campaign to increase your public profile, you know which Gingerbread person to call.....

Cris Sabal not likey Running Ninja dude

Q : Why do you call yourself Gingerbreadman anyway? It sounds so gay.

- Anonymous


GBM: Um, because I like to stimulate those who actually read this, leaving a trail of thought for them to chew on - like gingerbread crumbs. Nice eh? Oh lord how I wish it was that profound. Sadly, I chose the handle because I could mimic the whiny voice of good ol' Gingerbreadman from the Shrek series. Busted, demystified. Hmm.Come to think of it, does sound a little gay....

He's wearing a thong!

Q: So what IS your Zodiac sign?

- Paula S.


GBM: I'm a Libra, and my balanced, reasonable persona is telling me to never ever again implore people to ask your Zodiac sign. Unless you want to answer the same question over... and over.... and over again :P So this is how Dingdong must have felt when he ditched Karylle for Marian and had to pony up to the press.

We're just friends. We're just friends. We're just friends.

Q: I've been hearing about this Bataan Death March Run. How do we join?Are you running?

- Karlo A.


GBM : Hmm. It may be a wee bit more than a "run" my friend. It's actually officially known as the Bataan Death March 102k Ultramarathon, and obviously it is not for the faint of heart. Slots are not guaranteed, as applicants need to have at least completed a marathon or ultramarathon in the past As of today, there are already 132 registered applicants , and in response to your question yes I am going to temporarily lose my sanity for at least 18 hours on March 6th. If you need more info, go to Bald Runner's dedicated site on the race here.

In honor of these brave souls... and it will not be easy.

Q. Reading through the Takbo.ph forums, it seems you had a bone to pick with the Timex Run. You said it was expensive, etc. I ran it and thought it was the best race I ever ran this year. Sulit. Wala ka bang bilib kay Coach Rio?

- David L.


A. David, it's not that I have a bone to pick with Coach Rio. I have the highest respect for his body of work, his mainstream persona as one of the faces of running, and I have always looked forward to his races even before the Finishline era. Like most people, I had felt that the race was overpriced. I mean, P750 for a 21k? Seriously? With no differentiating factor save for a timing chip and Piolo's presence? (and that isn't exactly a come-on for hot blooded dudes like me) But if you were closely monitoring those conversations, my buddy Bong Z. gave a stellar argument - if you were only running 1 race a month, one would be willing to drop that kind of cash if there was the assurance that it would be executed to world-class standards and there would be so many value added elements to it. In an open market system people are entitled to choose the commodity as long as there is strong value perception involved regardless of premium pricing.

Of course, Coach Rio would later clarify on Run Radio why he had to price it that high, and he essentially reassured the public that he would be pulling out all the stops for this..... and that's precisely what happened. Word on the street is that from a technical standpoint, it was smooth and well-thought out top to bottom. Sir Amado Castro even went as far as saying the race was "the standard of race events that future races will be compared and critiqued". Boatloads of value added goodies like post- race massages and quick results never hurt either. The most accurate barometer here is that I did not hear a single negative comment from both experienced and newbie runners. Congratulations to Coach Rio, Vince, and the rest of the organizing team, awesome job. With the naysayers (myself included) jaded from the recent spate of horrible races, this comes as a whiff of much-needed fresh air to the community. Only thing I didn't like about this race is the revalation that.... I eat Piolo's dust. *picks up ego from floor* (x_x)

Kudos to these two, they delivered!

Q. I noticed you don't have any Google ads, why not? Sayang naman. May site din kasi ako, may pumapasok din kahit papaano. Try mo din Adbrite bro. Keep up the good work btw.

- Arnel C.

A. Thanks for the kind words Arnel! The reason I don't have Google Ads is because of the site's name. Dahil dun sa "Gingerbread", a portion of the ads they run have a lot to do with baking equipment, ingredients, etc. Ang sagwa, so tinanggal ko na lang! I just think of it that it would help make the site less cluttered.


Q. That pic on your "About Gingerbread Man" page, is that in Pearl Farm? I could have sworn it is.

- Kaye S.

A. Hi Kaye, yes it actually is! Was nice to run there, even for a bit. Davao is a very beautiful place.



Okay everyone, that's all the time we have for this week's mailbag! Join in the fun and send your comments, inputs, and suggestions, reactions at the field on our home page or through this button. Will look forward to it! -

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Gingerbreadcast : Race Director Edward Kho on the Conquer Corregidor 10-miler Race

After missing out on several months, we actually have two "podcasts" in a row. Nope, I'm not losing my writing mojo; with a new term coming up and with the Ad Congress taking up most of my week, I hope you can bear with hearing my screechy voice for the meantime. Our guest for this edition is Edward Kho (no relation to you-know-who), the race director for the highly anticipated Conquer Corregidor 10 miler race. To those keen on joining the race, listen in to get firsthand info and inputs on this very interesting event.

Enjoying the Corregidor seaside view

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Gingerbreadcast : Neville Manaois On Second's Wind's New Branch

After what seemed like ages, we finally have another Gingerbreadacast! Hopefully we could come up with more soon. Anyway, for this edition Pinoy Ultra Runners team principal and Second Wind proprietor Neville Manaois gives us some in sights on their spanking brand-new store located at the Ortigas Home Depot in Julia Vargas. Enjoy!

A new race bib wall!

Swanky!
Let's put em' race bibs

Now ... OFTEN?

Celebrity!

New High-tech treadmill console
Fancy......
Left over right!

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Gingerbread Dreams :On Finally Breaking The Sub-50 Barrier

Yes, Yes YES!

Those were the words ringing in my head as I was sprinting to the finish line at yesterday's Philippine International Marathon 10k race. Not prematurely as was my folly in the numerous times I have faltered in the past - I made sure the celebration came when the mat was right in front of me. I took time to savor the moment... and sought to retrace the twists and turns leading up to it.

Finally! Yay!

What's the big deal?

To some, a sub-50 finish may not seem like a particularly big deal. But to me, it takes on a certain measure of significance as it represents the pinnacle of a particularly tough climb from the recesses of an unhealthy downward spiral. Not to mention finally getting past a mental hurdle that had incessantly gotten the best of me. I was actually so close to giving up on it already. Just let it go man. It ain't meant to be.




Not in the blood

Why was this the case? I was thinking, maybe I just don't have it in me. You know how some people are just natural athletes? Introduce them to running, and right off the bat they could run a 45 minute 10k split with no training at all. I was never one of those people. Not even close. Blame it on poor genes. I have had the benefit of having totally unathletic parents, unless you consider competitive eating a sport. In high school, could never run the fastest, nor jump the highest. My friends could touch the basketball rim. I could touch the .... board. I even tried killing myself with Jumpsoles, ever remember those things? Nah, didn't work. Not in the blood I guess.

My Dad could take this dude any day, name the place

Humble Beginnings

My first 10k was a 1:28. In what was to be a precursor to my positive split strategy, I started out really fast.... only to bottom out during the 2nd half. I had no conditioning to speak of. I was also um, fat. 205 lbs. Gak. I was so conscious of my pata that I wore jogging pants. Yeah, the baggy type that was all the rage in the 1990's. I seemed to have been passed by every Tom, Dick and Harry along with Jane. Depressingly, I nearly threw up at the finish line. Yeah. Talk about being out of shape.

Grandpa beat me fair and square

Getting Ambitious

Long,painstaking hours of lonesome training later and I found myself clearing the sub-60 and sub-55 marks in rapid succession. Hey, I like this. I'm actually... getting to be good at this. Admittedly, I'm a competitive running junkie. Don't know if that's a good thing, but I constantly benchmark against the very best runners in our group. I want to force myself to get better. Wanting to take my game to the next level, I discovered that lowering the bar from 55 - 50 was becoming exponentially harder.

Wanna go up the ladder? It's harder than you think.

Breakdown City


My best shot came at Ayala Eco-Dash. Let you in on my thought process during those crucial final moments :

They say that running is just as much mental as physical, sometimes even more. I completely agree, 100%. Here I was , on the cusp of beating one of my biggest running goals, and I was doing a completely chokejob. Mentally, I was messed up. I was freaking out and panicking. Prematurely celebrating, I was even thinking of a title for the blog post already. ... and ended up missing it by 15 seconds. Damn. Oh the heartbreak.

Breakdowns put you in esteemed company

This is It?

In an attempt to finally slay the ghosts of 10k breakdowns past, I had resolved to join this year's Philippine International Marathon. Good friend/"doping like effect coach/Conquer Corregidor head honcho Edward Kho told me "this was the flattest course I have ever ran". Knowing that the route would take me across Roxas Blvd, I said to myself,hey, maybe I'll get lucky this time.

I rushed to get to the venue as early as 3:30 in a lame attempt to meet Sir Jovie aka Bald Runner to get my 1,000 Km club shirt. No such luck. I was there 3:30, took me about 40 minutes to find a parking slot. By that time they had already gone off for the start of the 42k. Boo. Maybe next time.

So in short, I waited for several hours until the 6:00 am gun. Former President FVR actually dropped by, gave us runners in the front rows a quick pep talk. He seems like a nice guy. In hindsight though, don't they all?


Panic Mode

As the race began, I was a little off-tangent because everyone next to me was sprinting like a madman. You sort of get caught up in it. Or maybe that's just the sheer lack of conditioning, nursing flu-like symptoms all week. Took me some time to get into any rhythm whatsoever, and the splits showed it - 4:13. 4:35, 4:55. Oh no. It's not supposed to go down that fast . Nooooo!!!! Breathe. Relax. And just as I felt I was getting my bearings back, i ran right smack into the last thing I wanted to see - a flyover. So much for a completely flat course. Noooo. I felt my sub-50 dreams evaporate right then and there.

What a waste. I lost pace with those two flyovers. Tried pushing it, but knocked the wind out of my sails right after. Losing pace rapidly. And my woes were compounded by the 5k contingent at their turnaround point, as I had to labor through a veritable "Alay Lakad" crowd. At the 8k mark, I had a 5:17 split (worst of the race) with no relief in sight. I could barely breathe. Legs weren't there anymore. Call it a day. Game over.

Freaking out was more like it.

Digging Deep

Then I thought to myself. Here I go again. At Eco-dash, I gave up mentally. I just threw in the towel. Then came the realization - just 10 more minutes of agony for the glorious satisfaction of victory. I once read a quote that said "when it starts to really hurt, that's the time to push it even harder" You have no idea how much those little snippets actually helped. Digging deep, I went headhunting and went after a really speedy guy wearing a KOTR 2007 singlet. Setting aside the pain, I went for broke, knowing each second wasted brought me farther and farther away from my dream. The 9k split was starting to look encouraging. 44:10. I can do this!

I ran like there was no more tomorrow. All of those days training in the rain, in the heat, at 4:00 am in the morning - this was what it all comes down to. Right then and there, you had to leave your blood and guts on the road. There simply was no other way. You HAD to want it. It wasn't going to present itself on a silver platter. And upon hitting the line, I was numb at first. Then it registered. 49:12. Oh yes. Yes. YES. I finallly did it! I finally breached the sub-50 mark!!! Yahoo!!!

My mind drifted to all those past failures, those past trials. The inherent lack of athleticism. How the goal had seemed so lurid to begin with, and steeling yourself for the eventuality that maybe you just didn't have it in you. Just let it go man. It ain't meant to be. It probably never will be. Basking in the glow of victory, i was happy, overjoyed even, that for one day at least....


It actually was. :)

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Fun Times at ABS- CBN : The PIM Race Kit Saga

I rarely write about these things, just because I try to avoid them as much as possible. But with the Philippine International Marathon already commencing tomorrow, I guess I had no choice but to troop over and get my singlet over at Kapamilya land in faraway Mother Ignacia, Quezon City.


I've been hearing some initial horror stories already, how the singlets were not delivered to ROX as promised, how much of a hassle the people from the South would have to go through just to go to ABS, et. al. I heard that Sam had engaged the organizers in some animated banter (okay, maybe more than animated) over the distribution of race kits for the Takbo.ph/Team Logan 42k relay team.

Apparently, it was causing a logisitical nightmare for everyone. End line solution was, to those who couldn't get it today a BIG tent would be set up very early tomorrow morning before the race. For the 42k people, that means um, 3 am. And we all know how pre-race distribution works out right?Right?


All of that notwithstanding, I was advised to go back Saturday morning for my race kit. So I got there at about 10:30, and this is the scene that met me :



So early, and yet there was a line already. Hot and humid , tempers were flaring already. Some conversations overheard from random people :

"Bad trip to, sabi sa ROX wala naman, Taga Laguna pa kaya kami akala ninyo madali!"

"Anong generic bib pinagsasabi ninyo? Ibig sabihin isusulat lang number namin???"

"Kaya nga ako tumatakbo para pangpatanggal ng stress, mas nasestress ako dito!"

"Nagcommute ako galing Paranaque, di daw mahanap ung sa akin. Pano na yan???"

!@#$$ Mga singlet namin!!

So amidst the gripes and the tension, a very courteous staffer took my claim stub and took it upon himself to look for my singlet. Problem was, everything was off the floor. Which makes it.... harder.

If it's off the floor, it must be good!

Observing the staffers though (not sure if they're from RACE or ABS) , most of them were doing an admirable job amidst the flaring tempers. As a live case study on grace under pressure, most of them kept their nerve and still observed general, proactive courtesy even if people were screaming at their faces.

More random conversations with the people I was in line with :

Random Person : Sana andiyan ang race kit ko, tumakas lang ako sa misis ko sabi ko magpapacarwash lang.
GBM: Ahh. San ho ba kayo umuuwi?
RP: Sa Alabang...
GBM: !!!!

Twenty minutes later, the guy finally handed me my singlet and race kit. I heard the singlets for the longer distances were nice. So imagine my complete and utter shock when I saw the 10k singlet, a result of what I think was a logistical rush to just get it over and done with. Done by Tin's Collection, I hereby put forth for your perusal my nominee for Most Unappetizing Singlet Of The Year :

Escaping from my wife was worth.... the singlet with no print in front.

At least there's a cute patch on the back....

Hottest tailor of the season....

Not that I would mind, I never wear it to the race anyway. But woe to the people who traveled from Laguna, or Paranaque, excited to get their singlets and receiving this piece of fabric that quite frankly only its tailor could love.

So after 45 minutes, my PIM/Kapamilya visit was over. Sub 50, not that bad. Now let's see how tomorrow unravels. Good luck everyone, and I hope you're all not too stressed to enjoy the race.


Quote of the Day :


"Ginawa mo naman akong SM saleslady eh!"

- Stern, boss-looking organizer to someone fussing over singlet size

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Kawawang Mga Ranner Part 2 :Tito Caloy's Take On The Subic International Marathon Experience

Hi mga Tropa! Tito Caloy is bak! At tatapusin na natin ang ating nasimulan, medjo nakabwelo na tayo ng ayos. Maganda ang naging usapan namin ni kumpadreng Vino Kulafu, at ngayo'y ganado na ulit ako ihayag sa inyo ang aking sanaysay sa nakaraang Subic na takbuhan. Pasensiya na speed bagal tayo, mahirap palang mag type sa linstak na laptop na to, di na ba uso typewriter o kaya steno ngayon?

Tapusin na, umaandar metro ng talent fee natin

Ang Unang Takbo Ni Mike


Nang hinatid na namin ung mga tropang babanat sa full marathon, bumalik muna kami sa hotel nina Mike at Makoy dahil may mga isang oras pa naman bago mag simula yung karera. Nakatulog ako, nasilayan ko etong pamangkin ko na ang daming etse buretse pa sa katawan, tatakbo lang! May relos, pero naghahanap ng signal. May dalang mga Gatorade pa na boteng nakalawit. Aba, nagpabango pa! Daig pa tsiks sa kaartehan. Eh di yun, umalis na kami at balik na kami sa Remy Field. Sarap ng buhay ng mga to, ako drayber!

Kasawa puro tsiks, maiba naman

Taya na lang tayo sa Lotto!

Pagdating namin dun, parang walang karera! La masyadong tao. Ayus to ah. Akala ko nga tatakbo lang sila sa oval, paikot ikot parang daga. Buti na lang inde. Ayun, noong nagsimula na, boring na boring ako. Niyaya tuloy ako nina Pareng Vic na mag coffee. Sosyal tayo men, di kape, coffee! Nabawasan tuloy breads ko, eh shempre nakakahiya naman kay Boss Vic, eh mukhang bigatin pa naman baka sabihin di tayo "in". Sabi ko nga, habang andito na tayo, tumaya na tayo sa Lotto baka manalo!

Ang masama niyan, pagkalayo pala ng coffee coffee namin , aba eh tapos na pala si Mike, tawag ng tawag. Pagkabilis lang palang matapos ng bata na yun! Nagtampo pa ata dahil wala siyang tropa sa finish line. Naabutan ko't iniinterview pa ang loko para sa TV. Showbiz! Feeling!


Matagal na Paghihintay

Ay sus. Etong si Mike gustong antayin ang resulta nung karera. Maganda ata placing. Akalain mong nagantay kami dun ng tatlong oras wala pa din? Batong bato nako men. Nakailang barbeque na kami, ilang Bulakenyan na ang natapos, pinatos ko na ang magpakodak kay Japeth Aguilar, wala pa din? Sasabihin ilalabas na, may dadating na egoy, tapos ala antay nanaman. Aliw nga yung emcee, sabi dalawa daw ang nangunguna, isa daw Pinoy. Pagtawid, dalawang egoy! Na kwentong kutsero nanaman kami. Sa bad trip ni Mike, umalis na lang kami para suportahan ang mga tropa na matatapos na sa marathon, ang balita daw nagkakagulo na.

Tropang Lotto

Bilis ng Bulakenyan

Pinatos ko na si Papa Japeth, pogi!

Walang Tubig! Saklolo!

Nang dumating kami dito, andun na ung mga tropang Takbo.ph, puro tsiks! At ang masaya dun, kilala nila ako. Kahit di ko sila kilala, ngiti pa din ako, feeling close diba. Noong andun kami, doon ko nasagap ang balita na nagkaubusan ng tubig. Lahat ng mga nakikita ko wasak na wasak na, namumutla na. Ang masaklap nun, si kumpareng Sam, bumigay malapit sa amin. Parang si Kristo! Nahulog, tumayo, tapos nahulog uli. Kaawa awa talaga. Tapos nung kukunin na ng ambulansiya, bumangon bigla at tumakbo kahit gegewang gewang. Yan ang determinasyon!

Nakakatuwa ang bayanihan na ipinakita ng ating mga tropa. Kahit di na kilala, basta mukhang nangangailan o kaya basta't pogi, agad na nagbigay ng tulong - tubig, masahe, kiss. Ay sakin lang pala un. Hahahahaahah dyok lang!

Ha?? Walang tubiiig???

Pangpagana!

Walang Kapagod pagod si pareng Jet !

VIP treatment si Doc sa mga chikas

Nakakalaspag ding tumulong ng ganun. Medjo nagtagal kami dun, tapos bumalik pa kami ng Remy Field para antayin ung mga nakatapos. Alam mo kung saan ako napapabilib? Talagang walang iwanan ang grupo, antayan talaga. Yan ang pamilya. Masaya ako't nakilala ko kayo. Dahil kadalasan, kayo lang may kilala sakin eheheh.

Kumain ang mga gutom ng manok at Crispy Pata sagot ni Bossing Rico, nakauwi kami mga alas dose na. Nakow, nakalimutan ko may karera papala ako! Puyatan to!


Ako Naman Ang Tatakbo!

Ang sakit ng ulo ko. Parang napalaban ng Johnny Blue, kahit di naman. Parang akong lalagnatin, tulog na lang kaya ako uli? Grabe diba. Punta ko dito pero di naman pala ako tatakbo. Kaya kahit wasted na wasted ako, bumangon na din ako. 3:30 yan, dalawang oras lang na tulog. Habang naghihilikan ang mga makisig na tropa, tayo'y lalarga na. Teka, humihilik pa si Mike ah.....

Maaga kami dumating dun. . May oras pang mag picture picture. Tulad nito -

Bagay ba? Ay di na pala pwede naunahan ako.

Medjo huli na ng nagsimula ang paligsahan, ang dami kasing tao na nasa finish line. Ano ba naman un diba, magsismula ka sa finish line? Kasama ko si Mike, si Timmy at ung chikas, si Tracy ba un. Pagkagandang dilag, kung tayo'y bata- bata lang baka sakaling makaakyat ng ligaw. Kami kami ang natakbo. Pero, ikwekwento ko pa ba sa inyo? Ang dami nyo nang nabasang ganito, eh speed bagal naman ako kaya wala namang saysay. At isa pa, nagagalit na si esmi sakin, kailangan ko pa daw maglaba't magsaing.

Balding Ranner?

Pang Profile Pic Daw

Basta ang nangyari mabilis ang pacing namin, mas mabilis dun sa pacing ni coach dati. Halimaw tong si Mike, nagpapalipad! May update pa kada minuto kung gaano na kami kalayo at gaano kabilis. Maganda ang kurso, maganda ang tanawin pero puro ahon. Ang bad trip lang dun, ung mga pulis nagyoyosi sa gitna ng karera. Clean living pa naman tayo kaya di maganda un. Tatakbo ka nga para lumakas ka sabay titira ka ng tabako.

Ayun, nung bandang huli medjo pinupulikat na ako, pero binubuhusan ko ng tubig para mawala. Nauna ng konti sakin ung tatlo, at natapos ako sa loob ng 2:33, ewan kung maganda un pero mas mabilis sa dati. Bad trip lang men, wala namang binigay na tubig o medalya pag tapos ko.

Enjoy si Timmy at Tracy

Wasak pero hapi hapi pa din

Pero ayos lang. Nagenjoy talaga ako sa pagpunta sa Subic at makabanding ang mga tropa. Grabe talaga mga kamandag ng mga yan, inaaya ako mag BNO kung ano man un . Nakakatuwa. Ang gusto ko naman tirahin sa susunod ay ang full marathon! May mga tips ba kayo para kay Tito Caloy? Sa aking pagtatapos, ako'y nagpapasalamat sa lahat ng mga aking tagasubaybay, pasensiya kung naboring kayo dito. Hanggang sa uulitin!


Nagmamahal,

Tito Caloy
xoxo

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New Updates on the Conquer Corregidor 10-Miler Race

I know you guys have been hunting for updates on this for nearly a month now. So here it is! And to those worried that it would run right smack into the rescheduled New Balance Power Run, no worries it has been taken care of. So read on, and see you there! By the way, registration is limited to only 750 participants , with a contingency for probably around 250 for last minuted registrants.

CONQUERCORREGIDOR

The 10-mile island run Challenge

What’s your mettle made of? This may be the hardest question any seasoned runner can come across. But as if a fortuitous opportunity for every indefatigable runner, this challenge may finally be met come December 6. An island once a battleground for gallant men, now becomes a hallowed arena for daring runners to measure their speed, endurance, and grit. Set against a breathtaking landscape and an unforgiving terrain, contenders will get the unique chance of becoming part of a race in reclaiming a glorious past. And this race ought to relive the struggles and history-defining heroism of a noble generation will take place in an island known as the Rock of Gibraltar of the East, Corregidor.

What now serves as a moving memorial for the courage, gallantry, and heroism of its defenders may soon become a touchstone of ultimate running athleticism as Hypehouse Production Company and Sun Cruises, in partnership with Inquirer.net, Takbo.ph, RunRadio in NU107, TheBullRunner.com, Activelink, Second Wind, and R.O.X., bring “Conquer Corregidor!”. Set to fire off on December 6, “Conquer Corregidor!” is expected to thrill, surprise, and challenge, all at the same time, seasoned and amateur runners alike as it will test their mettle on all running terrains. The race route, covering 10 miles, will encompass a demanding combination of paved uphills and downslopes and intermittent segments of dirt trails. But what would really set apart “Conquer Corregidor!” from the usual running experience of avid runners is that it will exceptionally transport the race participants to key historical hotspots of the remarkable isle.

Right at the start of the race, the runners will experience at once an adrenaline rush as they zoom past the full length of the Malinta Tunnel. The exhilaration continues to unfold as the runners exit the tunnel’s west access en route to the interior of the atoll. The thrilling highlight of the race surges while the runners negotiate the tricky span of a thickly foliaged trail draped in rays of sunlight, culminating in a run along the rocky cliff of the island with a breathtaking view of Manila Bay, to dramatically finish at the south dock breakwater facing the vast South China Sea.

To highlight the distinction of “Conquer Corregidor!”, the island will be closed from regular tourists and will solely be allotted to race participants from December 5 to 6. Registration runs from November 9 to 29 at Second Wind in Maginhawa St, UP Village and R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street. Registration fee of P1,000 covers roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor, entrance to the island, lunch buffet on race day, and race singlet. Participants wishing to arrive a day earlier for the race may opt to book, through the registration centers, for a standard hotel room at a discounted rate of P1,500 a night. For further race and registration details, participants may contact :

Over-all Chairman: JP DEMONTAÑO 409-2948 / 0918-3582017

Race Director: EDWARD KHO 0915-9990187

Hotel and Ferry: KRISTINE CASTRO 527-5555 ext 4512 to 13 / 09178681762

“Conquer Corregidor!” will be an extraordinary opportunity for passionate runners to set new norm for personal achievement as finishing the race will be akin to recapitulating a fortress that is home to the resilient and valiant. A heroic legacy rests in a distant bygone. The hardest race of the year looms in the distance. One history. One goal. Conquer Corregidor!

Here are the singlets!

Limited edition shirts

So want to know who's running this? Any additional questions? Join the discussion over at Takbo.ph for more details :)


Breaking News : To those who fear that registration is closed, not true. Roughly 150 slots left. So register for the last remaining slots! Here's the updated registration schedule :


ROX : Nov 18,20, 22, 23, 25, 26, and 29 - 6pm - 10 pm
Second Wind Ortigas : Nov 17, 19, 24, and 26 - 2 pm - 5 pm.

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