Young cyclists get early shot at stardom with runbike racing

MANILA, Philippines — Runbike racing is steadily gaining recognition in the Philippines as an ideal entry-level sport for young athletes aspiring to compete in major international events such as the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and eventually the Olympic Games.

This is the mission of Kick2Pedal (K2P) Runbike Racing Philippines, which continues to organize runbike competitions across the country, including the recently concluded Karera ng Pilipinas International Race held over the weekend at TLC Park in Taguig City.

"Runbike racing, or pushbike racing, started about two years ago. We saw that there are already major races for children across Asia, but in the Philippines, competitions were previously limited to small races in malls and parking lots. Over the past 10 years, the sport has continued to grow, and runbike racing has now reached a highly competitive level," said K2P Runbike Racing Philippines director and pioneer Sofia Genato during the weekly Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports Inc. (TOPS) “Usapang” Sports Forum at the PSC Conference Room in Malate, Manila.

Genato said the sport helps children develop their athletic abilities at an early age while encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle instead of spending excessive time on gadgets. She noted that runbike racing is one of the few organized sports open to children as young as two years old.

"We want the sport to continue growing because many parents are looking for activities that will keep their children away from too much screen time and encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. This is a sport for children aged 2 to 12 years old. In fact, my son, Hudson, started when he was just 19 months old. Our goal is to stage world-class events for kids and create more racing opportunities," she said during the forum, which was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Behrouz Persian Cuisine and Pocari Sweat.

Joining Genato at the forum were Jeff Cruz, Irvin Tan and Renee Principe, along with young champion runbike racers Noah Tan, Hudson Schoonmaker, Juan Dominique Uno Principe and Zoe Cruz — all five years old.

Principe shared how the sport has benefited young participants by exposing them to higher levels of competition at an early age.

"Runbike racing serves as a transition to triathlon by teaching kids how to ride a bike. Through social media, we discovered competitive runbike races. As a family, we love traveling, so we combine our trips with racing, making every journey more memorable," said Principe.

The group hopes to bring more world-class runbike competitions to the Philippines to further increase public interest and expand the sport.

"Our goal is to bring world-class racing to the Philippines so the sport can continue to grow. We also bring our kids abroad to experience international competitions because our pathway is to compete in the World Championships and, eventually, the Olympics. One day, some of these young athletes could transition to BMX racing," Genato added.

K2P is now preparing for an international race in Thailand on August 8-9, followed by more competitions in September and November. The organization also plans to stage additional runbike races in Mindanao and is calling on private sponsors to support the rapidly growing runbike community, particularly at the grassroots level. (Pool story)