Last chance to register

If you’re a serious runner, signing up for the sixth edition of the yearly New Balance Power Race at the Clark Freeport Zone on Nov. 11 is a must.

So far, over 1,000 enthusiasts are registered to negotiate the 10k and 25k courses which organizers describe as smog-free, scenic, secure and conducive to a healthy run.

The deadline for registration was last Oct. 14 but due to insistent public demand, Planet Sports president Anton Gonzalez has agreed to extend it from 10 this morning to 10 tonight. Only the Planet Sports Power Plant store in Rockwell will sign in the deadline-beaters. Entry fee is P300.

“It’s the first time we’re bringing the Power Race outside of Metro Manila and Clark is the perfect place for the run,” said Gonzalez. “In fact, Clark is hosting an international marathon this March.”

Gonzalez said the coming marathon, where New Balance is a major sponsor, was the “light bulb” that led to moving the Power Race from its traditional home at the Fort to Clark.

“We thought of an alternate location after some runners complained of conditions at the Fort, with so much construction going on and cars along the roads,” continued Gonzalez. “Clark was our first choice. It’s easy to get there, very accessible from the North Expressway and only a 30-minute car ride from Subic. The air is fresh and the course is lined with trees.”

New Balance brand manager Bing Buenaventura said the Power Race will be unlike any other in that the first 500 runners in the 25k category will be strapped with RFID (radio frequency identification) timing tags. The transponders will record a runner’s time at various stages of the race through radio waves. 

Buenaventura said race director Eric Imperio of Ex-Tribe is making sure the Power Race will establish new standards in road running. 

“We’re not just introducing the RFID,” said Buenaventura. “There’s also the educational component. We’re setting up a recovery booth, patterned after New Balance global, where sports medicine specialists, nutrition experts and UP Kinetics students will be available for consultation. We’ll have two treadmills, a flat screen TV, computers and video-cams to help in analyzing a runner’s potential and performance. We’ll offer massage as runners cool off. We’ll even do foot analysis to determine the best shoe fit. Of course, we’ve got New Balance singlets, race numbers and recovery kits for every participant.”

Gonzalez said the Power Race will assemble quality runners. Even business executive Fernando Zobel personally registered to show he’s serious about participating. Willie Yao of Our Home and Mark Ellis of Fitness First are others in the runners’ cast.

The race categories are 25k open, 25k age group (for males, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-up and for females, 19-29, 20-29, 30-39, 40-up), 10k open and 10k age group (for males, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-up and for females, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-up).  Male and female winners in the 25k open will receive P25,000 apiece. Male and female winners in the 10k open will earn P10,000 each. Cash prizes also await the second and third placers.

Buenaventura said New Balance – a brand for serious runners who push themselves to the limit – is committed to raise the bar for road races. 

“The NBX collection of performance footwear and apparel has inspired us to take the Power Race to the next level,” she added. “We hope to do the Power Race in Clark again next year and up our participation by 10 to 20 percent while retaining the quality of our runners. We’ll continue to support triathlon and organize pocket events building up to the Power Race in November.”

Gonzalez said even as New Balance has a distinct niche in the market for running shoes and cross-trainers, it has diversified into hiking, trail-running, basketball, indoor sports like squash, volleyball and badminton, tennis and casuals. 

In a few days, New Balance will bring out a collectible casual shoe called the 574 transportation series in the market. Only 574 pairs of the limited edition shoe were manufactured and 36 will be sold in the Philippines in sizes eight to 11. The shoe will retail for P6,495.

Last February, New Balance put in Philippine stores 36 pairs of the “hungry dragon” series with gold trimmings for Chinese New Year. They sold for P9,995  each and were quickly wiped off the shelves. Only 574 pairs were produced for world-wide distribution.

New Balance’s top-selling 1223 model, in two colors, was voted the year’s best running shoe by Runners World Magazine and retails for P6,395. It’s available in three stand-alone New Balance outlets in Festival Mall Alabang, Glorietta and Shangri-La EDSA Mall and in 22 Planet Sports and The Athlete’s Foot stores all over the country.

“I’ve been involved with the New Balance brand for some 10 years now and I’ve seen it grow,” said Gonzalez. “With more and more people getting health-conscious, we’re seeing an expanding market for New Balance. It’s not enough to diet. It’s become important to do exercise, too, to pump the heart. People are realizing that to live longer and enjoy a quality life, staying in shape physically is essential.”

For more information on the Power Race, call 898-1933.

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