This was pure bravado which is not advisable for non-elite runners. It’s definitely a no-no for newbies like me. I had to find this out the hard way. Unless you are an elite runner, it is very difficult to have the same pace for 2 races in 2 consecutive days. Your performance in one race will really have to suffer. Besides, you may be courting injury if you insist on doing back to back races. So let me share my experience with these events held on December 11 & 12, 2010.
ING RUNNING 20 – Dec. 11, 2010
After the QC full marathon last week, I joined this race upon the prodding of my friend, Atty. Audi Samar though the registration fee was high compared to other Metro Manila races. This was supposed to be our recovery run.
Overall, the race was just a little over the middle of the rating scale, at least insofar as the 20K runners are concerned. After the race, many 10k and 5k runners complained, at the point of cursing the organizers, because some of them got lost or were misdirected by marshals who probably lacked the proper orientation in how they should function during running events. There were also hate mails in the internet. This only goes to show that everyone is entitled to his own opinion in a democratic country.
From an objective point of view, the race would have been better if the organizers asked for some pointers from Coach Rio. The participants’ safety should always be the primordial concern of the organizers. It isn’t a pretty sight that runners would be just inches away from vehicles passing by Lawton Avenue, with no specific designated lane for the participants. That is what happened in ING. It isn’t a pretty sight either that runners would be crossing Lawton Avenue without any marshal to guide them and direct traffic for passing vehicles.
Despite everything, the 20k runners had fun. A large tent was in place for 20k runners for their free breakfast.
The route was almost identical to the ones used in runrio events. After the race, my GF 305 indicated a total distance of 20.2 kms. One thing good with this race is that results were texted just a few hours after the race. Very fast, indeed. I landed at 22nd overall [20th among male participants] with a time of 1 hour, 43 minutes and 8 seconds [01:43:08]. My friends also had improved clockings: Jerome Bautista [01:45:38]; Atty. Red Samar [02:05:37]; and Atty. Audi Samar [02:11:18].
10K runners who submitted very good clockings were the following: Chad Davis [11th overall, 00:39:53], Natasha Davis [19th overall and 4th among female participants with a time of 00:48:57]; Quintin Atienza [27th overall, 00:49:45, just his recovery run]; and my daughter Christine Marie [83rd overall and 8th among female participants with a time of 00:57:17].
On a scale of one to 10, I would give this race a rating of 7 [a 3-star race]. I would have given a higher rating if the organizers thought of the welfare of the runners above anything else. Just press on the links below to access the results:
20K Overall
20K Male
20K Female
10K Overall
10K Male
10K Female
5K Overall
5K Male
5K Female
3K Overall
3K Male
3K Female
MILO HALF-MARATHON – December 12, 2010
The organizers of this race made sure that there will be no untoward incidents from start to finish. Water stations were placed not at every 2.5 kms. but at an interval of less than 1.5 kms. A fellow runner remarked that hardly had he drank one cup of Gatorade when he saw another water station just a kilometer away. If the organizers are trying to impress the participants, I am one of those who were definitely impressed!
The route was much better than the one used during the July eliminations. I ended up with a time I deserved because of my folly – doing a back to back race. This was pure bravado with nothing really to gain on my part. My time was 01:56:10 with a 156th ranking. My lawyer friends submitted decent clockings: Atty. Alex Martin [02:07:28], Atty. Red Samar [02:10:29] and the vastly improved Atty. Audi Samar a.k.a. the AYORN MAN and WHIRLPOOL RUNNER [02:15:35].
On a scale of one to 10, I would give this race a rating of 9 [a 4-star race]. Why not the perfect rating? Would you give a perfect rating if you have the same medals and the same singlets just like the ones given during the eliminations? What do you think? Just press on the links below to access the results:
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 21K Race Results
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 10K Race Results
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 5K Race Results
34th National Milo Marathon Finals - 3K Race Results
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