The XTerra Weekend

Tomorrow, Liloan will again host the 2nd edition of the XTerra Philippines Championship, at Ayala Land’s high-end residential community, Amara.  

It will be a two-day event with the 5, 10 and 21k trail run jumpstarting the race.   Runners will be brought to some of the scenic and rugged beauty of Liloan’s coastline, with a side trip to the functioning American-era lighthouse and the remains of the pre-Spanish Bantayan sa Hari a little bit downhill.

The routes on Sunday’s swim, bike and run events are basically the same, save for some surprises along the way race directors added to make the challenge more difficult. As if doing the race itself isn’t already difficult enough. 

If you ask me, I still could not understand why people would swim and battle the waves and everything else under the water for 1,500 meters, pedal for 30 kilometers then run another 10 kilometers in quick succession, and still have the good nature to smile, wave and make pa-Kodak at the finish line.  

To have a real feel of this game, I asked my son Emil to join and escort me on the trail run. Yup, we registered and if you’ll be seeing somebody wearing bib #1930 with steam coming off his nose and ears, it’s you-know-who.

Literally speaking, this is my first time to run a highly organized race. I did some running but of the different kind and in my three tries, I won, quite expensively. This time, winning is not the aim but to finish the race and spending only a minimal amount for the registration.

As of this writing, 422 were registered for tomorrow’s trail run, with some of Cebu and the country’s running elite in the mix. In the 5K category where I’m entered, names like Noy Jopson , Fred Uytengsu , Lovelienell Casidsid, Rochelle Tan, Jericho Rosales and other established runners send shivers to newbies to the game like me, but, who freakin’ cares. We’re in for a different kind of fun.

Professional and elite athletes, as well as celebrities comprise the half and full triathlon on Sunday. People in government service like Sen. Pia Cayetano, Comm. Goyo Larrazabal and Mayor Duke Frasco are entered together with celebrities Matteo Guidicelli, Richard Gutierrez, Rovilson Fernandez and the others mentioned in the previous paragraph.

A good number of spectators will be starstruck with the abundance of celebrities invading Liloan for the weekend.   While they’re still doing their thing, please don’t block their way and make harang just to have their pictures taken. It pisses them big time. And while your idols are running, don’t get mad or disheartened if they’re more aloof than P-Noy during calamities. They’re in the final stages of the race and had been sweating for at least two hours. Waving and smiling to the crowd are farthest on their minds. Go to the finish line if you want to see them flash their teeth and raise their arms.

So why in Liloan again? Maybe because of the very warm reception the participants got on the inaugural edition. Athletes, both foreign and domestic, were energized by the cheering and flag-waving of spectators and school children lined along the race routes the last time around.

They could be captured by the natural setting of Papa Kit’s, where aside from chickens, ducks and turkeys freely grazing on the ground, they may have some horses and goats running along with them this time. Or maybe, it’s the typical Cebuano hospitality and the lechon that brought this international adventure racing franchise back. Frankly, only the XTerra people can satisfactorily answer the why.

Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the weekend, cheer the XTerra Warriors and say, ‘It’s more fun in Liloan!”

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If adventure racing is not your thing, head to the Aboitiz Football Field for the finals of the 14th Aboitiz Cup Football Championships and check out the games featuring Don Bosco Technology Center battling Ateneo de Cebu in the Players -8 and -10.   Players -12 will again have Don Bosco battling Canduman Elementary School and Players-14 with Don Bosco – A versus Abellana National High School.

Don Bosco is a traditional football powerhouse and my bias for the school is obvious as I spent my intermediate and high school years there, and yes, I did play the game.   Good luck to coaches Laurence Gerali, Rommel Ramirez, Joselito Bono and Robert Nicart.

Also this afternoon, let’s cheer for the Azkals, who will fight Turkmenistan in the semis of the AFC Challenge Cup. Forget that TV personality operated by a puppet of himself and his harem of insensitive women anchors who don’t know the difference between football and bullcrap. They’re just plain bitter it’s the rival station that’s airing the Azkals. Go ahead and weep.

Violent reactions welcome at [email protected]