Social impact of running

The Subic International Marathon has been the product of the herculean efforts of a handful of present and former Philippine National Police officers and friends, who have been using running as a means of transforming the nation through the discipline the sport instills. In the past few days, this advocacy has picked up a huge partner with the muscle to give the event a tremendous boost and catapult it into international consciousness.

“Since 2005, we have been doing everything we could through the PNP and friends to go around the country and promote running,” recalls retired Gen. Sam Tucay, who has been one of the moving forces behind the Subic race. “Without sponsors, we’ve been able to rally support, though we’ve often had to spend even our own money to keep the event going.”

The event will now be known as the Smart Subic International Marathon, or Smart SIM, and is already generating a groundswell of support, carried by the resurgence of running in the country over the past three years. Having pulled as many as 6,000 runners in the past, there will now be a target of 10,000 participants, which will include 200 to 300 international runners, led by a band of Kenyan runners, who have triumphed at Subic before.

“The top prize of $5,000 is the same as that of the Boston Marathon, making it very competitive,” reveals Adi delos Reyes, president of e-ventologists Co., the event managers. “This year, with the partnership with Smart, the event will definitely become a major stop on the international running calendar.”

At a press launch last Wednesday and attended by PLDT-Smart chair Manny V. Pangilinan, PNP Chief Gen. Jesus Verzosa (himself an avid runner), North Luzon Expressway (NLEX president Ramon Fernandez, and other top officials of Smart, including the Samahang Mananakbo ng Smart (SMS), those involved explained the route, format, and significance of the event to the media and other interested partners.

The elite full marathon race will fire off at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, and will begin at the SCTEx, ending at Remy Field inside Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). Smart is organizing a party to celebrate the occasion. The following morning at 5 a.m., the 21k, 10k, 5k and 3k events for the “executive” and casual runners will be held inside SBMA.

“This event will be a showcase for the Philippines, because it will garner international exposure for the country, and will be a boost from both a sports and tourism perspective,” says Smart Sports Communication head Pato Gregorio. “We’re very excited for this first-time partnership.”

The PNP is still going around the countryside promoting the transformational values of the sport, and will also pick out the best new runners nationwide, and bring them to Subic. What keeps the race founders going is the social impact they’ve seen the race have on our citizenry, aside from fostering better police-community relations.

“Everywhere we’ve gone, I’ve noticed how running has changed the lifestyle of the people who take up the sport,” says Gen. Tucay.

“Since runners have to wake up early to run, they sleep early. So they go home early, and are able to spend more time with their families.

That is the value of running. That is why we want to continue doing this event.”

Though often considered a solitary sport, running is gradually taking back the nation, after the running boom of the late 1970’s faded out in the mid-1980’s. But now, the sport has a bigger social impact, with health becoming a major concern not just in the Philippines, but throughout Asia, as well.

And with Smart coming into the picture, their proven ability to bring professional organization to large-scale sports events now bring the Smart Subic International Marathon to a much higher level.