Maasin Zoo Trail Run

In connection with the 12th Charter Day and annual fiesta of Maasin City, Southern Leyte, the Maasin Zoo Trail Run will be held on August 12. It will start and end at the newly opened Maasin City Zoo in Danao, Malapoc Norte. The main competition will cover 10 kilometers consisting of earth road, a little bit of concrete road, and a rolling mountain trail. 

The prizes at stake for the 10K Trail Run are as follows: 1st – P7,000, 2nd – P5,000, 3rd – P3,000, 4th–10th – P2,000 each for both male and female categories. Medals will also be awarded to all the finishers. Gun start for 10K is at 5:30 am.

A lot of fun await the participants as they can see the animals in the city zoo such as tigers, lions, camels, miniature horses, crocodiles, tarsiers, snakes, monkeys, peasants, and birds. A relaxing ambiance of a forest with cool soothing air and scenic mountain view overlooking the sea will be an added appeal for the runners.  

There is also a fun run category of 3 kilometers and 500-meter kiddie run within the zoo and forest park premises. The top three winners of these categories will receive medals only. The 3K will start at 6 am, while the 500m will be at 7:30 am.

Registration fee is pegged at P250 for 10K, P100 for 3K and P75 for kiddies below seven years old. The fee is inclusive of the race bib and zoo entrance. Runners will have to wear their own singlets. 

Participants may bring their own camping equipment because it is a camp and run affair. Comfort rooms and shower rooms are available at the City Forest Park. A dormitory is also available at the site. However, those who will arrive on the day of the run on August 12 will be provided with transportation from the city hall to the zoo at 4 am.

The City Forest Park has been the site of numerous camping and training activities most notably by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. It hosted the 7th BSP National Rover Moot and the BSP One-Visayas Jamboree in October 2010. The forest park was also the site of the 13th BSP Regional Jamborette in January 2007.

Maasin City has also hosted several fun runs most remarkably the 1st Maasin City Half-Marathon on August 7, 2011. It was joined in by runners from Cebu, Mindanao and all over Leyte, Samar and Southern Leyte. Other runs organized in the city were Run for the Heart, Seminary Fund Run, Run for the Philippine First Mass, Takbo Kontra Tabako, Freedom Run, Takbo Laban sa Krimen, Alay Lakad/Takbo Para sa Kabataan, Metro Run, and Red Cross Million Volunteer Run.  

Because of this, Maasin City was awarded by the Department of Health and the World Health Organization for Healthy Lifestyle, and also in Nutrition and Anti-Smoking Advocacy in the regional and national level. Maasin City hosted the first-ever smoke-free Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association last January. The recently concluded Southern Leyte Anniversary in Maasin City was also smoke-free. 

 The Maasin Zoo Camp and Trail Run is jointly sponsored by the City of Maasin, Province of Southern Leyte, Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, JQD Construction, Runnr Ayala Cebu, Metro Hi-Per Maasin, Brodeth One Stop Shop, Aqua Maasin, and media partners DYDM and MCTV.