Leg 2 of 100K run series kicks off in Alcoy on Saturday

CEBU, Philippines - A total of 145 ultra runners from the Philippines and other parts of Asia will pound 100 kilometers of road from Alcoy to Santander and back on November 17-18.

This weekend’s race is the second leg of the tri-series of the Cebu 100K Ultra Marathon organized by Think Tank, a Cebu-based non-profit group of ultra runners.

The ultra run kicks off at 6 pm in the scenic and coastal town Alcoy, 93 kilometers southeast of Cebu City. The route covers 100 kilometers of mostly flat road from Alcoy to Santander, the southernmost tip of Cebu, and back.

It passes by the tourist spots of the towns of Boljoon, such as the heritage church of Patrocinio de Maria, and of Oslob, where the 'butandings' playfully swim with people. The runners will not miss these spots.

The picturesque route, where several stretches of the highway are lined with trees and a view of the sea, will drive away a runner’s boredom of running long distance.

The run starts at the tree-lined frontyard of Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church and ends at the Bodo Bamboo Bar Resort, a hilltop getaway that overlooks the island of Bohol. Both are located in Alcoy.

The race will be preceded with a mass at the Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church at 3 pm. Check-in time is at 4 pm.

Race briefing and kit distribution will be today, Nov. 15, at 7 pm at Onze on Orchid Street near Capitol in Cebu City.

Leg 2 of the run series is hosted by the Municipality of Alcoy and supported by the local governments of Boljoon, Oslob and Santander.

Mayors Nicomedes de los Santos of Alcoy, Teresita Celis of Boljoon and Ronald Guaren of Oslob and Vice Mayor Wilson Wenceslao of Santander have committed to field policemen, barangay tanods and medic teams within their towns during the race. They will also put up hydration stations.

Runners have 20 hours to finish the race on foot. There is no cash prize for the top finishers but the champions in the men’s and women’s categories will each be rewarded with an overnight stay for two at Plantation Bay Resort and Spa.

The top three finishers in each category get trophies and gift certificates from stores in Ayala Center Cebu.

Only those who finish by 2 pm will be included in the list of finishers, but every finisher will get a medal, a shirt and a certificate of completion.

Leg 2 has drawn 124 male and 21 female runners. They come from various parts of the country, and some are flying in from Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Thailand.

Leg 1, hosted by Pinamungajan in the west of Cebu, drew 119 runners. Of this number, 96 made it to the cutoff of 20 hours, 14 beyond cutoff, and nine quit. The route covered Pinamungajan, Toledo City, Naga City, San Fernando, Carcar City, Barili and Aloguinsan.

The run series is aimed at exposing runners to the countryside of Cebu. Details of Leg 3 will be announced later. (FREEMAN)