HE WAS the first to cross the finish line and bested thousands of participants. But unlike in any sporting event, he acquired a plum far beyond cash or a luminous trophy.
More than chasing the first prize, Roger Denolo joins marathons so that he will get a chance to hone his skills as one of UST’s prized trackster.
“We joined ‘fun runs’ to condition our bodies and test our capabilities,” he said in Filipino.
Denolo topped the 10-kilometer category of the 2011 Merrell Run and bagged home an P8, 000 prize money defeating robust Kenyan runners.
“I didn’t expect that I will beat my Kenyan opponent who only placed second,” said Denolo, whose attempts to ascend in an uphill trail stumbled ten times.
His fellow Thomasian tracksters Dave Gumacal and Jenelyn Surdilla clinched the first and third spots in the 5k for men and 10k for women events, respectively, while alumnus Ireneo Raquin ruled the 21k run, bringing home a luscious P15,000 cash prize.
Trending sport
“Fun runs” nowadays have evolved from a stiff competition to a friendly footrace and arguably became one of the most popular activities in the metropolitan.
“Maybe because it’s very accessible as you don’t need to have gears. All you need are rubber shoes and shorts then, you’re good to go,” said Romina Austria, a Philippine Daily Inquirer sports writer. “And today, there are venues like The Fort and Mall of Asia [for these events].”
To amass more participants, organizers often invite famous celebrities engaged in sports.
“They (personalities) attract crowd,” said Rudy Biscocho, chief organizer of National Milo Marathons.
Although people basically join these for “pleasure”, Biscocho said it is inevitable to create competition among co-participants especially if large amounts of prizes are at stake.
Run for a cause
“Foot drives” have also been common with raising funds for particular beneficiaries as their core.
Since last year, Milo Marathon has been giving thousands pair of shoes to underprivileged children and raising funds to produce running shoes for students in different public schools in the country.
“The inspiration behind this are the kids who run barefoot,” said Biscocho.
Another example is the annual “Kapit Bisig for Ilog Pasig” organized by the ABS-CBN Foundation, which is regularly participated by National Service Training Program students of UST.
Pro and anti health
More than just for pleasure and for selfless giving, these so-called “runs-for-a-cause” also encourage physical and healthy living.
“Running is a very good exercise,” said rehabilitation specialist Dr. Consuelo Suarez.
Exercise, like running, is a non-medicinal treatment for diseases like high blood, diabetes and high cholesterol.
“However, it (exercise) is not a cure, but a treatment that could aid a person inflicted with such diseases,” she said.
Since footrace is a callisthenic routine that requires physical strength and endurance, runners should expect pain.
According to Dr. Suarez, the following are “overused syndromes” that can be inflicted to runners: Plantarfasciitis, or the pain that occurs when a ligament or a connective tissue at the sole of the foot is being stressed down by the bone during long jogs; Iliotibial band strain, where muscles in the thighs inflames due to lack of stretching; Patellar tenditis, the inflammation of a bone found in the knees that is also caused by lack of stretching; and Stitches or the pain felt after a ligament in the liver goes down the abdominal area.
However, the most common disorder among runners is dehydration that can be worsened by the country’s high humidity level.
Suarez said that before joining a run that takes more than an hour, runners must drink sports beverages in order to replenish to-be-lost body fluids, along with pre-running routines like stretching.
She added that to avoid severe injuries, one must not fail to choose his right pair of shoes.
“You have to change your shoes after six months of usage,” said Suarez. “If you are a hardcore runner, you have to have a pair of shoes that is really made for you.” Jan Edward B. Ballesteros with reports from Anne Marie Carmela L. Dayauon and Chenny V. Ramos
