Gingerbreadman closed his email with a weird feeling in his stomach. No, it wasn't that. It was an invite. To a presser. What an honor. Thus, in spite of his heavy workday which included a marathon 3-hour meeting, being suspected of being a student insurgent at the Malacanang gates and giving a 2 hour speech to 500 people (only one is made up, and it's not what you think), he went on to Megamall to roll the dice, eagerly anticipating the thrill of a fresh experience in his life away from the corporate bustle.
ADB Avenue, 6:10 pm
Oh boy. So the secret's out eh. They've been mumbling about this for like a month now. And now it could be said. What the big deal? Here's the big deal, and I've been getting snippets of this here and there. Apparently, it's called the Kenny's Open 2009 Urbanite Run. Urbanite? Urban? Hmmm. Nite? They need a copy-editor. Maybe they could hire me. But then again I hate copy editing. So this is THE event. In partnership with Takbo.ph of course. The one we've been hearing for like... forever. Oh boy Jinoe made me a moderator. What an honor. Ranks up there with the time that I took 3rd place in our quiz bee as a 4th grader. So what if only three showed up! There was a big storm that day and...Oh crap the MMDA dudes are flagging me down for coding. Goodbye 100 bucks.
Cool!
Not Cool!
GBM arrived at the designated venue 5 minutes early, still smarting from being divested ofP100 by the very people who were tasked to make our streets a better place. The anxiety of being alone amidst the more senior members of the runner/ blogger community dissipated as he saw a familiar face in Doc Lyndon aka Malmonmd. He remembered how Doc had warmly welcomed him at the Condura CLP as a newbie, made him feel like he belonged. I'll pay homage to the gesture one day to a nervous newbie when I'm in a position of seniority. But at this particular juncture, at this precise time and place - he was the newbie once more. Doc's amiable demeanor jostled him from his daydreams. Queenie is there. BR was there awhile ago, he just went out. Go inside and make yourself comfy. BR? Bald Runner? THE Bald Runner? If that was a portent of things to come, this was going to be a good night.
Doc Lyndon with his beautiful family I am with Legends
Upon entering, a throng of familiar and not-so-familiar faces greeted his entrance. Looking around, he surveyed the scene in earnest anticipation as his underlying excitement was nearing its zenith.The venue isn't enclosed. I hope we could hear one another amidst this mad, rush hour dinner crowd. Friendly faces abound. Takbo.ph elite idol Vener,also known in blogging parlance as Run Unltd.was there. One day I hope to be as fast as him. Okay maybe not. But still, I appreciate that he was at that finish line when I finished that insane 50k Ultra. (Editor's Note : Yes, I owe you an entry on that epic life experience and yes I'll get to it once I finish the things that I need to do. Things that, uh, actually pay me money. I need to feed my family, put food on the table. Or maybe I just need the money to buy running thingamajigies) Trail runner extraordinaire/overall nice guy/foodie connoisseur Sir Rene aka The JazzRunner was there, exchanging niceties and running stories as they eventually settled on being "seatmates" for the duration of the presser. A small group was formed at one of the tables., members of the running blogosphere no doubt. A quick glance showedthat one of them was Vimz aka Kulit on the Run. While he was always a fan of her site and layout, as much as he wanted to say "hi" his inherent Gingerbread nature dictated him to lean towards the "shy" end of the spectrum.At least for the first 5 minutes. There were also Roselle The Running Diva and Bards of BananaRunning sightings. From the Takbo.ph ranks, Coach/Mod Pojie was indisposed and couldnt make it. 5k pacer/motivational speaker Rico of Sheer Will fame was running late. Boss Jinoe was apparently stuck in traffic. But the real treat was yet to come. Two running luminaries , veritable legends in the field were in the house. And our protagonist was reduced to a blubbering piece of blubber.
No mic, no prob for Denise 
There it is 
Amazing how Vince does that hand gesture 
Coach clarifying things during Q&A
This presentation is cool. Even without a mic! Oh there's a mic now! Just in time for the closing remarks! BR is asking about the security issues since it's a night run. It's been prevalent nowadays, you know. Oh god did I just do a Pacquiao. Anyway, it's admirable how Vince and Coach Rio handle his queries, and it's also admirable how Sir Jovie volunteered Team BR to help out with security. That right there is the spirit of volunteerism that we should espouse amongst oursleves, if only to give back to our community. Okay, so everything is working out great except that... oh lord I forgot to take notes! How am I supposed to write about this thing? Guesswork? Can I just make it up? Oh shoot. Hmm.. I know... why not we tap our ET running buddies from The Collective to get me back in time and get me that info.
Now, Kenny Rogers is taking another leap forward in its dedication to health - one that is bound shake up a storm! It is with great pride that we present: The Kenny’s Open 2009 Urbanite Run! On August 15th at
With an advanced timing chip system to record runners’ progress and distances of
Joining is easy. Simply stop over at any Kenny Rogers Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant and purchase the Urbanite Run Ticket to Eat, Run and Donate your way to fitness! Registration can be done manually or via online & mobile through www.kennys.com.ph.
EVENT DETAILS:
1. The Kenny’s Open 2009 Urbanite Run will be held on
2. The run will a
HOW TO JOIN:
1. Purchase the Urbanite Run Ticket
a. To join the Kenny’s Open 2009 Urbanite Run, interested participants must purchase an Urbanite Run Ticket for P600 at any Kenny Roger’s Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant.
b. Interested participants may also purchase the Urbanite Run ticket through the web or on their mobile phones by visiting www.kennys.com.ph. An electronic claim voucher will be issued to registrants to claim their Urbanite Run Ticket at any Kenny Roger’s Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant.
Urbanite Run Tickets will entitle participants to:
a. Eat: Bearers are entitled to an Urbanite meal from Kenny Rogers. Simply present the Urbanite Run Ticket at any Kenny Rogers branch to claim the Urbanite meal. Redemption period from July 15 to
b. Run: The Urbanite Run Ticket will serve as the runner’s registration voucher, to be attached to their registration form, if they register manually. See below for registration details.
c. Donate: Serve as runner’s donation to Hands On Manila Foundation. On the day of the run, bearers are to drop the “Donate” portion of their Urbanite Run Tickets at the designated box on-site.
2. Register for the Run
Registration will be from July 15 to
Participants may register online or through designated registration sites. For other details, please contact Vince Mendoza at (632) 7031736.
a. Online Registration Process
a. Interested participants are to log on to www.kennys.com.ph, click on the “Events” tab, follow the Urbanite Race link, and register their details online.
b. Once registered, participants must submit their details and settle payment via credit card/ GCash or ATM.
c. An electronic claim voucher will be issued to registrants to claim their Urbanite Run Ticket at any Kenny Roger’s Roasters branch or the new Kenny’s Roast and Grill restaurant at the Powerplant.
d. Participants may also choose to have their race kits delivered at a minimal cost. Delivery address to be indicated in the online registration form.
e. Confirmation email will be sent to the participant’s email within 24 hours upon online payment.
b. Registration thru designated registration sites.
a. Interested participants must go to the available Finishline Registration booths at the four (4) pre-identified marathons:
i. 2nd GIG Run, UP Diliman
ii.
iii. Robinson’s Fit & Fun Wellness Buddy Ru, NBC Tent
iv. Globe Run For Home on July 19 at The Global City,
b. Interested participants may also register their details at
c. Manual registration will also be available to last-minute participants on the night of the run – within 1hr before call time.
EVENT DAY:
1. Call time
On the night of the run, participants must arrive at
| Distance | Assembly | Gun Start |
| 5K | TBD | |
| 10k | TBD | |
| 15k | TBD | |
2. Prizes
a. The following cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place finishers of each division, to be awarded after the run finishes.
| Distance | 5 Kilometers | 10 Kilometers | 15 Kilometers | |||
| | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| | Php 5,000 | Php 5,000 | Php 5,000 | Php 5,000 | Php 5,000 | Php 5,000 |
| | Php 3,000 | Php 3,000 | Php 3,000 | Php 3,000 | Php 3,000 | Php 3,000 |
| | Php 2,000 | Php 2,000 | Php 2,000 | Php 2,000 | Php 2,000 | Php 2,000 |
b. Employees of Roasters Group Inc., Bates141 Philippines, Zenith Optimedia including their relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from winning the cash prizes.
3. Event Activities
At the end of the run, participants will be invited to relax to a concert of Tribo Manila and purchase their Urbanite dinners at discount.
4. Security Measures
a. Stationary marshals at different points along the run route, approximately 100-150 meters apart or at strategic areas.
b. Roving marshals in motorcycles to tail and keep runners in line.
c. Police marshals and traffic enforcer group will direct traffic and to ensure runners will not be approached by onlookers.
d. Roving police escorts as added security measure.
e. Perimeter barricading at the start/finish line to keep runners assembled properly.
f. Roving security designated at the parking area.
5. Safety Measures
a. Runners to wear illuminated bib numbers and glow bracelets for easy tracking.
b. The marathon route will also contain “reflectorized” cones and signages to ensure the clarity of the track
c. Perimeter lighting will be placed around the run route every 50 meters or so.
d. In case of emergency, two (2) ambulances will be on standby with a dedicated first aid station at the event grounds.
e. All runners are entitled to insurance coverage worth Php 100,000.00 with Php 10,000.00 medical reimbursement.
lol
as usual, i had a nice laugh while reading this post. :)
thanks for the detailed infos regarding the race!
Nice twist dude. Liked the prologue and epilogue. I guess I'm Php100 luckier than GBM. My coded vehicle breezed through Makati, EDSA and Ortigas untouched by men in blue (or yellow, brown, etc).
Thanks to Kenny's Urbanite Run I finally got the Levi's GCs. I was already drafting a complaint letter to DTI and Blogger adboard.
Lol Pepsi glad that you liked it. It's a multi-tasked piece, and it probably reflects my state of mind right there more than anything else. Hey hope your injury is better :) Don''t rush back in!
Haha lol Boss Rix, at least you know it aint a sham! They exist hehe. :) Yummy food last night :) LIbre!
Don't complain if you take part in perpetuating the crime. If you didn't offer a bribe, then you won't be divested of Php 100. Even if he did solicit a bribe, it is a citizen's moral obligation to choose what is right. We have no right to complain if we participate in the illegal acts that pin our country down.
Thanks for the comment and thanks for stopping by. Actually, if you are familiar with my work, you would know that much of it is done as a humorous satire that is nearer the spectrum of semi-fiction than actual reality. Just so you know, the whole incident was exaggerated for humorous effect meant to capture the mundane workings of everyday life here in the metropolis. So yes, just to clarify, no actual bribery took place, just stretching literary license. Hope you take it with a grain of salt the same way I take yours. Cheers, and God Bless.
Salutations Gingerbreadman!
This seems to be a race that everyone (including extra-terrestrials) should join.
Thank you for a very detailed account of what transpired at the presscon.
It seems you do not require our time/space bending service since your powers of retention are quite keen.
Run Strong and Prosper!
Thank you my non-human friends. I do believe that the chip timing system has an advanced transponder that may muddle your abilities for the duration of the race, thus putting you on level ground with the rest of us humanfolk. You can actually test your limits in relation to our atmosphere and climate!
Take it easy!
Nice post as always, Luis. But you didn't eat the salad and the brownie..what's up with that?;-) had to pass those to the running diva and i hope she took time to sample the greens and take home the brownie.
hope you're walking straight now. :-)
Haha thanks Sir Rene! It was your idea hehe, I got full right away :P Good thing Roselle liked the extra goodies :) Was one heck of a yummy platter though :)
are you joining sir the globe run for home challenge?i will be up for the 21k. assuming to win hehe, maybe if some here are not informed for the deadline for online registration. its still up until July 14. just check out this site n lng.
http://www.globe.com.ph/runforhome
hope to see you there!
Hi Ramil thanks for dropping by. Yes, I'll be running the Globe race this Sunday, won't be at 100% though. I just want to be part of the experience :)
Hi, this is Beth of KR Mktg Dept, thanks Gingerbreadman for your blog about the Kenny's Open '09 Urbanite Run. There have been changes, though, in the mechanics. You can log on to www.kennys.com.ph for more details. Thanks and see you there!
nice post, again! no more ricky reyes commercials! you guys have fun on august 15! i am so jealous, it's my lola's 90th so family comes first...
"A quick glance showedthat one of them was Vimz aka Kulit on the Run. While he was always a fan of her site and layout, as much as he wanted to say "hi" his inherent Gingerbread nature dictated him to lean towards the "shy" end of the spectrum.At least for the first 5 minutes."
ummm... this is a super late reply, i know! just want to say that 'twas nice mtg you takbo guys too. next time, just say hi, poke me or just nod. it's fine, i don't bite. see you around. ;)
-vimz