Mission to Run

“Simon says” was one of the “Bubble Gum” hits of the seventies together with “Sugar, Sugar” and “Mony Mony”. Lust a week after his arrival in Cebu and after winning the Rock N’ Run, Kenyan World-class runner Simon Losiabol became good friends. As of last Sunday’s race the CEO for Green Eco-run at the IT Park, Simon has won four straight races. The other two races wore the running mad last Nov. 22 and the roar to grow 10k a week earlier. Now Simon says we must make the record straight, he is not a missionary as he has been pictured. He said he’s just visiting some Kenyan missionaries at Banilad and in fact if he doesn’t get to extend his visa, he will be out of the country by the end of the month. Of course we are doing everything to keep him in Cebu until the Cebu City Marathon on January 10,2010 so he could run his first marathon. Contrary to what some people think, Simon has once ran a Half Marathon and won a record, 1:03 in the ISAF Half Marathon on March 20,2003. Actually, Simon says he’s more of middle distance runner with a best time of 3:40 in the 1,500 meters which he clocked in Kenya in 2003. Simon also owns a 28:18 record in the 10K which he registered in the ISAF 10K in 2002. His time in 400 meters is 1:45(Paris 1997) and in 2006, won the West Virginia Half Marathon. Simon is currently training for the Cebu Marathon with Mendel Lopez. We are just hoping that Simon gets an extension and run in the marathon. The Kenyan who is a Bachelor at 38 said there are a lot of pretty women in Cebu. Well I told Simon maybe he could be a permanent resident here if he marries a Filipina. Any applicants? So now you know Simon’s Mission to run.

Running Guards

A Shoplifter found out too late that he was messing with a Man Guard who’s into running, just the other week, a thief who stuffed several items under his shirt was almost out of harm’s way. When the Saleslady of a signature shop inside Robinson’s place alerted security guard Artemio Arevalo the thief was able to pass by Artemio and made a dash for it. With the latter giving chase just when bystanders thought he outrun the guard, Artemio accelerated and caught up with the thief some 200 meters away from the mall. A few months earlier, another security guard Eking Autida noticed a man hauling an aluminum parts near the Mall’s gutter. Upon seeing the guard, the robber darted away but lost steam as he approached the City Sports Center. When someone asked how these guards caught up with the robbers Artemio and Eking said “We are coached by the “running man” himself who operates a restaurant by the food court. In fact he gave us singlets to train with other runners in the mall are Pol Diose “Pal” Palanas and Alex Cariao. Speaking of thieves, a snatcher also learned a lesson in running 101. Several years ago in Manila after hearing a scream a woman, former national marathon record holder Herman Suizo, 3-time Milo Marathon and SEA Games champion Jimmy Dela Torre and myself, ran after the culprit at the Roxas Boulevard. He didn’t get too far as he sputtered and gave up. We didn’t touched him, we brought him to Rizal Memorial where Olympians Onyok Velasco and some Karatedos took care of him.

Cebu Midnight Run

Entry forms for the 8th Arthro Cebu Midnight Run are fast disappearing from the registration centers. The run, the only race in the country get a boost now under new Cebu Distributor Jens funk promised to give eyewear to the winners. Cell phones from Sun Cellular will also be up for grabs. Also backing the race are Castrol Edge, Cebu Holdings Inc., ACDC construction of Jay-R and Rovie Aguilon, Waterprosh Drinking water, Island Grill Express, Prycegas, The Freeman, Banat, Holiday Gym & Spa, Stocks R Us, Timex, Casa Ilongga and of course Arthro of Atan Guardo. A new innovation this year is that runners will be running in costumes. Registration is still on going at the PSC office at the Cebu City Sports Center, City Sports Club Cebu and at Casa Ilongga Robinson’s Place.

Singapore Marathon

A Big Cebu contingent will be off to Singapore this Friday to join the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon on Sunday. Heading the list are the Guardo Running Club headed by Atan, Jeson and Genito Guardo , Joel Garganera, Ian Baguio and Allan Decantar. Also joining the race is Mark Cans of Castrol and Ramsay and Renee Quijano who will join me in the 21K category. Supporting their husbands are Clarissa and Lovena Guardo, Audrey Garganera and Jenny Decantar.

Condolences

Our Deepest sympathies to the family of Billy Tan for the lost of his wife Jocelyn who always supports Billy during his runs. “Hasta La Vista Jo.”