Maning

The very successful Hunat Sugbu Dagan Para Ni Maning held last Sunday at the Ayala Terraces was a welcome treat to runners who recently experienced chaotic or disorganized races. Close to 1,500 runners answered the starter’s gun fired by Mayor Mike Rama who ran in the 5K category.

The run was organized by Cebu Parklane International Hotel to commemorate the birthday of its late president Maning Ting who was ambushed last year. The runners wore black armbands as a reminder that the mastermind is still free.

HR manager Stephen Taylaran the prime moving force behind the run said, they will continue to hold running events until justice is served. The reason why the race was successful, was because most members of the organizing committee, are runners or ultramarathoners, led by Ervin Limpag. Most of Maning’s friends joined the run while his sons Basil and Allan also pounded the streets. The field was likewise explosive with the likes of Joy Tabal, Mary Grace Delos Santos, Christy Tutor, Madelyn Carter and Joeyry Lee trading strides in the distaff side. The men’s side included Adonis Singson, Joebert Carolino, Reiz Enriquez, Philip Duenas and Alvirg Busa. The champions (male & female) in the 15K division each received P 7,000, the second placers

 P 5,000 and the third placers P 3,000. Attractive prizes were raffled off to lucky finishers including a Cebu Pacific round- trip ticket to Hong Kong. With the whooping success of the race , GM Cenelyn Maguilimotan said Parklane is almost sure of staging a sequel next year. Maning no doubt joined the runners last Sunday in spirit.

Elvis in Iloilo run

Philip Chua , organizer of the biggest running event in Iloilo next to the Milo Marathon was in town to join the Hunat Sugbu Run. Well, actually it was shooting two birds with one stone as Philip also brought my airline ticket to Iloilo for the Chua Memorial Run that fires off on June 12 at the Freedom Grandstand with over 2,000 runners expected to show up. Philip, a national shooting (pistol) team member, asked me to run as Elvis and perform a few songs at the awarding ceremonies. Philip said, he has even scattered posters and streamers all over Iloilo announcing that the king is coming to join the run. Still dusting the fatigue from directing the Hunat Sugbu race, I’ve started preparing my repertoir and recorded my intro “Thus Spake Zarathustra”. Philip said this is just a “patikim” of a concert he intends to produce before the year ends dubbed “Legends of Rock and Roll” at a big hotel in Iloilo. Elvis will be joined by clones of Tina Turner, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Michael Jackson. The Iloilo City Government led by my good friends Mayor Jed Mabilog, Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III and Sports Coordinator Jojo Castro, is backing the race.

Notes

The Animo La Salle Run will be staged on July 10, at the Cebu International Convention Center. De La Salle (Andres Soriano School) Alumni of Toledo City headed by Vic Reyes and Rico Navarro are organizing the run. The race is to commemorate La Salle’s 100 years in the Philippines. Come on, La Sallites, let’s go green! Registration will soon start at Runnr Ayala, Casa Ilongga Robinsons Place and at the Cebu City Sports Center.