Footraces in Cebu have undoubtedly reached epidemic proportions if you count the almost weekly races. Great, most people are now getting fitness conscious. However, quality must not be exchanged for quantity, meaning a road race must be well-organized to ensure the safety of the runners, thus making the run enjoyable rather than nightmarish. With so many races coming out of nowhere, runners are faced with a dilemma where to run while others join all. Years ago, these problems surfaced in Manila races, prompting the organizers to form an association aimed to promote cooperation among road race organizers that served as a forum for problems that may arise among members. The organization was called the Association of Road Race Organizers (ARRO). The first officers were Angel Colmenares, president, Michael Keon as honorary chairman, Rudy Biscocho, Red Dumuk, Ben Silva-Netto, Tom Carrasco and Elpidio Dorotheo. The Organization set criteria on how to manage a race and arranged the schedule of races which is the main problem here in Cebu today. Neophyte organizers would just pop out and organize a race, sometimes holding it on the same day. For instance, it is a crime to run two half marathons in a month or a full marathon monthly. Since some of these organizers lack knowledge, on scheduling and road management, the runners suffer. I’ve been very vocal about this matter and suggested several times that local organizers get together and form an association similar to ARRO, but failed on deaf ears.
CARRO
So just when I was losing hope and wanted to give up, a ray of hope surfaced. DepEd’s Danilo Villadolid and Cebu City Sports Commission’s Raul Manawatao together with CCSC executive director Genie Faelnar called all the organizers to a meeting last Friday. Present were Joe Deresas, Joel Baring, CRRC’s Rod Potestas and Romy Tan, Berto Banzon and yours truly. Raul explained that no permit will be granted unless the organizer secures a go signal from the Cebu City Sports Commission. Raul also asked for the schedule of races and that long existing events such as the Tri City Marathon, Milo, Cebu Mountain Trail Run, Cebu Doctors University Anniversary Run, Midnight Run, Holiday Gym & Spa Health Run, Run for your Heart, Move 5K among others, will be given priority. It was also agreed to those who were present to form a group to be called Cebu Association of Road Race Organizers (CARRO), to once in for all settle problems on schedules and road race rules and regulations. This way the standard of running will be lifted. By the way, yours truly was the last president of ARRO before it became inactive 4 years ago.
EXECUTIVES TRAIN FOR SINGAPORE
Don’t look now, but after conquering the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon last February. The Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC) is set to invade Singapore in December. HK Marathon veterans Dr. Vic Verallo, Jesse Taborada, Sergio Amora, Los Angeles Marathon finisher Steve Ferraren, Bernie Lanutan, Jun Quibranza, Rudy Tindugan, Billy Tan and Meyrick Jacalan, are now in deep training for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon on Dec. 7, the same date the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor in 1941. I want to join the group but I’ve been selected to the Philippine Masters Team to compete in the Asian Masters Track & Field Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Anyway, I’ve run the Singapore Marathon twice with one-legged triathlete Rudy Fernandez. In 2004, the beautiful Donita Rose then a VJ in Singapore joined us in the 10K run. Donita ran to lose weight after giving birth.
