Barefoot runners

Rhea Bullus, an 11 year old student at Salvation  Elementary School Barangay  Cabalic,  Balasan, Iloilo City, made waves recently when she won 3 gold medals in the Iloilo Sports Council Meet.  But what’s amazing was she won the medals running barefoot in “make shift sneakers” made of bandages featuring a hand-printed  Nike Swoosh.  She won in 400m ,800m and 1,500m.  She beat her competitors who wore spike shoes.  After watching the video, former basketball star Jeff Cariaso, a Nike-sponsored athlete, now CEO of Titan 22, promised to support Bullos and her teammates.  As I write this column, Reah was brought to  SM City IloIlo  where she was given a new pair of shoes, socks and sports bag.  I don’t know how she will perform with shoes.   Being an athletics coach myself, I see a good future for this girl thus, she needs all the support she coud get especially Nike.  One example is our fabled Nike Running Club which I organized  in 1988.  Then Mondragon president and CEO Tony Gonzalez, distributors of Nike in the Philippines, asked me if we could form a competitive team for the PAL Marathon.  I told him if we get a good support, we could produce a champion team.  We formed an explosive team composed of three-time  Milo Marathon and Sea Games champion Jimmy Dela Torre, Herman Suizo, who woud eventually represent Philippines in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, 1987 Pilipinas Marathon top-placed Filipino  finisher Arturo Angel and Magnolia 20k Marathon champion Alvin Milaflores.  As I promised, we won the marathon  and went on to win 11 more titles, making the Nike Team the winningest team in Philippine marathon history.  We also discovered the likes of Roy Vence who eventually won six Milo Marathon  titles and went to the Atlanta Olympics.  Our Masters team also dominated in the PAL Marathon.

Original Barefoot Runners

ABEBE BIKILA — he ran the marathon barefoot  in the 1960 Rome Olympics and won.  He was a last minute addition to the Ethiopian Squad.  A few days before he left for the games, his shoes fell apart, he looked for a good shoes but could’nt find a comfortable one and he didn’t want the risk of blisters.  The following Olympics in Tokyo (1964), he also won the marathon, this time wearing shoes.

ZOLA BUDD — in 1984, Zola Budd of South Africa broke the women’s 5000m world record at age 17 (15:01:03).  Running barefoot in the Los Angeles Olympics, in the same year, controversy surrounded her in the 3,000m when she collided with favorite Mary Decker and was disqualified.  Decker said she crossed the lane promptimg her to tripped.

HERB ELLIOT —  this Australian barefoot runner never lost in his event from 1957-61. He won the 1,500m gold in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

BRUCE TULLOH — of Great Britain won the gold in the British 3 Miles and  European 5k and was known as Europe’s barefoot champion. Tulloh’s  twin daughters were teenage champions in the 1980s, setting age-best marks for their club Swindon AC and also ran barefoot.

DR. CHARLES  ROBBINS — won 11 US National Championships including the Yonkers  Marathon in 1944 and was an alternate team at the 1948 London Olympics, his coach was Percy Cerutty

ARSENIA SAGARAY AND RODALINDA CATULON — our very own “barefoot” contessas are Rosalinda Catulong (now married to Jim Gietl) was the original Philippine barefoot runner who clocked 10 mins, 19 sec in the 3,000m, a record that still stands todate.

ARCHIE SAGARAY — won nine Milo Marathon crowns.  She ran barefoot in her early years and also topped the women’s (Filipino) category several times  in the PAL Marathon.