#NatGeoRun2014 - Marathon #8

I've always supported NatGeo races and believed in their advocacy. This year's edition is a special one as it is the first time the event introduced the marathon category. It was a very welcome change for runners looking for a 42k event, having been disappointed by the cancellation of this year's Condura Skyway run.

It was marathon #8 for me, and I was targeting at least a sub-5 on this race. I did my usual pre-race preps (massage, stretching and chiro) days before the race but for some reason, I think I overdid it. My body, instead of getting relaxed, became more tired coming into the race. I also regret having worn a race belt during the race, with the sole intention of it carrying my mobile phone for event photos. I was not used to running with this worn on my waist, and I could only sigh as it became heavier and heavier as the kilometers progressed.

At an early KM25, I walled. My left calf was screaming with pain as cramps attacked. It didn't help either that the 42k route is just a loop of the 21k route. And to top it off, the merge with the sea of 21k runners during the 2nd loop became a big headache. The roads of BGC just couldn't handle the sheer number of participants. (Of course it is a different story for faster runners who did not experience merging with the lower categories.)

My finish time? 5 hours, 4 minutes and 1 second. Another blah marathon performance. But I finished it injury-free so I still have something to be thankful for.

So some notes from the event:

• I love the 12mn gun start for the marathon category. It was a hot and humid summer day but at least we avoided the sun.
• Hydration was overflowing.
• The finisher medal is simple and the design is ok. (My runner friend Wyatt's medal was detached from the lanyard by the way.)
• I'm not a fan of route loops but the organizers made the most of what BGC can offer as part of the race map anyway so I'm not complaining.
• The only improvement item for me - the finisher shirt. This is the first time I received a finisher shirt that had 21k|42k both printed on it. It was soooo generic, it doesn't even make the marathon finishers feel special.

And now to some photos to remember the race by:

The "Mamaws" (photo courtesy of JP)

Me and Boki Wyatt

With Cholo, Wy and Rolly

With Ryan and Hazielle (who paced and finished together until finish line) and Rolly

Breakfast at Yellow Cab. Nice meeting you Nik! And thanks, Hazielle for the pizza treat!

Hope NatGeo offers the 42km category on their 2015 race! Great job to NatGeo and Event King!

NatGeo Run 2014 on April 27

As I write this post, most probably only a few slots remain at the in-store registration at SM Aura ground floor booth, or all categories could have been sold out already. So I'll just skip the registration details and post what registered runners need to know for the big day. I'm so excited for this!

WHAT: NatGeo Earth Day Run 2014
WHEN: April 27, 2014 (Sunday)
WHERE: Bonifacio Global City
RACE CATEGORIES: 3km, 5km, 10km, 21km, 42km
RACE ORGANIZER: Event King
RACE BENEFICIARY: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the Bancas for the Philippines Project
OFFICIAL HASHTAG: #natgeorun2014

NatGeo Run 2014 Assembly Time and Gun Time

 21k and 42k Race Finisher Items:

NatGeo Run 2014 21k and 42k Finisher Shirt Design

NatGeo Run 2014 21k and 42k Finisher Medal Design

RACE MAPS: 

 

 

Press Release: #NatGeoRun2014

*** Press Release ***

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL RUNS STRONG WITH EARTH DAY RUN YEAR 5!

On April 27, 2014, National Geographic Channel (NGC) renews its commitment to the environment by celebrating this year’s Earth Day (which falls on April 22 globally) with another round of its wildly successful Earth Day Run. Now on its fifth year, Earth Day Run is expected to attract 12,000 running enthusiasts of all ages and fitness levels to participate for the good of the environment.

Earth Day Run has consistently been besting its record for number of participants, with last year’s expected number of 10,000 runners demolished by an actual registered 12,000 participants. NGC hopes to replicate that success for Earth Day Run 2014 by registering 12,000 runners in the 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K categories, including a new fifth category of 42K designed to draw the most physically fit and expert runners in the country. The event itself is considered one of the biggest runs in the Philippines.

This year, NGC is working once again with its environmental partner, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), to make a solid difference in the Philippines’ environmental footprint and give sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities. Last year, the two organizations used proceeds of the Earth Day Run to plant P1 million worth of fruit-bearing trees in the Abuan watershed in Isabela, in the Sierra Madre region. Besides partial reforestation of this important resource, local farmers were given the privilege to own and care for the trees as well as harvest their fruits for their income. In 2014, NGC promises to raise money  for WWF’s Bancas For The Philippines project, which aims to train fishermen affected by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) last November 2013 in the making and use of fiberglass boats for artisanal fishing. These boats are designed to withstand the onslaught of typhoons to ensure that the fishermen can continue with their livelihood in any event.

March 17, 2014 - Bloggers at the #NatGeoRun2014 Media Launch held at Vyne, BGC

WWF’s experts will train fishermen on site and help them build the fiberglass boats while reducing the use of sawn timber and plywood, in the hopes that the communities can produce one boat per day. Many fishermen were left with no sources of income when their boats were destroyed by Haiyan, and so this project is a significant step toward the rehabilitation of communities in Palawan, which was ravaged by the typhoon last November but slow to receive relief due to the sheer number of islands in central Philippines that needed to recover from the devastation. Earth Day Run 2014 aims to help these fishermen directly with the sharing of climate-smart technology that will help them recover their livelihood, as well as decrease the fishing pressure on our seas that have been heavily exploited by commercial fishing by promoting artisanal fishing for small-scale fishermen.

Earth Day Run uses recyclable materials for its race bibs and a “Zero Paper” registration process in the form of a Centralized Registration System, which National Geographic pioneered in the country. Participants can support the Haiyan rehabilitation efforts of NGC and WWF by signing up on www.natgeorun.com or visiting the sign-up booth at the Lower Ground floor of SM Aura from March 1 to April 20. Finishers of the longer races of 21K and 42K can not only take pride in their physical victory and willingness to help Haiyan survivors and the environment, but they will also each be getting a medal and finisher’s shirt to commemorate their triumph.

Nearly four months after Typhoon Haiyan, those affected by it still need so much help, and it has become important to sustain the public’s interest in their rehabilitation. Earth Day Run 2014 invites all runners to register and do their part while enjoying the health benefits of good exercise and unity in supporting the survivors of one of the most devastating natural disasters in the country’s history.

See you there! I'm running 42k!

Earth Day, Big Race

12,000 runners. 36,000 trees. This year's edition of the NatGeo Earth Day Run is its biggest yet. I was amazed at runners' clamor to participate on the race, with kits selling out even before the registration deadline. The promise of planting three trees for every registered runner was probably the event's biggest selling point. And how cool are the singlets with the yellow portrait frame?

Fresh from last week's Sole Racing, with my body feeling great after doing that sub-2 half mary, I felt confident that I can attempt a sub-2 again. The last time I did a back-to-back sub-2 was way back December 2011, and it would sure give me a boost if I could do a repeat.

I'll also try something new on this race - I won't take GU Roctane and I won't apply Bodivance - two of the things I always do on a 21k, and see how it affects my performance.

Early again at the assembly area, I met runner friends (my running buddy Ryan, who'll take it easy and just do an LSD, Rom and Joshua, who were about to pace with me, and officemates PB and Fez who are doing their first 21k, to be paced by Marte). In just a matter of minutes, the area was filled with 21k runners.

Strategy is to do what worked in Sole Racing - start slow, build up speed and run fast midway, and do a slower but steady pace at the end. It paid off, and I finished in 1:57:48, a minute faster than last week's! Woot, woot! Lesson learned: I don't need Roctane nor Bodivance. Just kidding!

Action shot courtesy of Manghusi

Some race notes:
+/- I love the race route - it was the classic 21k route utilizing Bayani Road and its killer rolling terrain. However, the 21k distance seemed lacking by 200-300 meters. I got the same feedback from fellow 21k runners who had GPS watches.
+ It was announced earlier that the race would not use plastic cups due to its Go Green advocacy. However during race day, there were plastic cups on hydration stations. Had they not changed their hydration strategy, it would have been a disaster especially with the volume of runners and the heat that day. So good thinking on the organizer's part! It was nice to see a number of runners who brought their own hydration bottles (I did too!) so it sort of minimized waste on the road.
+/- The organizer tried their best to keep the race village in organized sections as possible - separate section for claiming of sports drink, another section for finisher shirt, a separate one for the loot bags and one for the race certificate claiming. I'm lucky enough to finish the race early and claim everything without queuing, but the situation changed with the influx of runners. Long lines for everything. And with the sweltering heat, runners became agitated. Most disastrous place is the baggage area, wherein runners were already allowed to enter the restricted area and get their bags themselves, which was already prone to theft.
+ I love the Illest finisher shirt, just the design I wanted.

Overall, organizer Event King did the best that they could given the expanded scale of this year's Earth Day Run. Yes, there are quite a few improvement areas here and there, but the race advocacy outweighs them all, in my opinion. I was glad I participated and able to help in my own little way. Bring on EDR 2014!

With Fritz and Rolly

With Alpha1 teammates Barefootdaves and Coyote Marts

With Rom, Ryan and Coach Mherlz

119 out of 2540 21k runners - Top 4.7%

Official results are posted at http://www.strider.ph/races/56

NatGeo Earth Day Run on April 28, 2013

WHAT: National Geographic Channel Earth Day Run 2013

WHEN: April 28, 2013 (Sunday)

WHERE: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

RACE CATEGORIES: 3KM | 5KM | 10KM | 21KM

RACE ORGANIZER: Event King

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://natgeorun.com 

NatGeo Earth Day Run 2013 Assembly and Gun Times

REGISTRATION DETAILS:
ONLINE: March 15 - April 20, 2013 at http://natgeorun.com
ON-GROUND: March 18 - April 20, 2013 at the NatGeo Earth DayRun 2013 Registration Kiosk Ground Floor - Greenbelt 3 Mall, in front of the Asics store

Registration Fees and Race Inclusions

Singlet Design

EARTH-FRIENDLY RACE FEATURES:

- Race kits to be used will be made out of recycled materials
- Registration will be paper-less and will utilize the biometrics system of registration
- Marshals on event day will not be using motorbikes but bikes
- Water bottles will be given as part of the NatGeo race kit to encourage runners to use it in lieu of paper/plastic cups. Hydration stations will be available in the entire route to refill each participant’s water bottle.
- For each runner who registers for this event, 3 trees will be planted in his/her name

PRIZES:
Top finishers of the following categories will be awarded prizes:
- 3km Cherifer Premium
- 5km Open
- 10km Open
- 10km Elite
- 21km Open
- 21km Elite

RACE MAPS:

 

 

See you there! I'll be running 21k.