Volunteer pacers tapped for Quezon City marathon

MANILA, Philippines - The Executive Runners Club of the Philippines (Runnex) is recruiting volunteers who will serve as pacers for participants in the Quezon City International Marathon set Oct. 18 at the QC Memorial Circle.

The organizing clubs said the vounteers will assist participants in the full 42k marathon and those groups aiming for specific finishing times.

Runnex said pacers will be assigned to groups seeking to finish the full marathon in 3 hours, 50 minutes, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:30 and 6:00. Each of the six groups will have two pacers, Runnex said.

To qualify as pacer, a volunteer must be physically fit and an experienced runner who has finished several full marathons and can maintain the assigned pace consistently throughout the run.

Each of the groups will have at least two pacers, a leader who will set the pace and a sweeper who will assist and encourage those lagging behind, and a back-up pacer.

Pacers will be given a pace guide to enable their groups to maintain an even split or run each kilometer at approximately the same speed until the finish line. These pacers will meet members of their respective groups during the QCIM carbo-loading party on Oct. 16 to discuss their specific running strategies.

The names of the chosen pacers and their time goal groups will be posted at the QCIM website upon the volunteers’ confirmation.

Pacers are common in fun runs and running clinics of Runnex during the last 25 years. The runners’ club, one of the pioneers in running for physical fitness in the Philippines, is currently holding one such clinic at the UP Diliman campus to help runners train for the first QCIM.

The QCIM, held in celebration of the QC foundation week, is backed by San Miguel Corp., The Philippine STAR, New San Jose Builders, GMA7 Network, Puregold, SM and Maxima.

Volunteer inquiries: Dave De Leon at [email protected] or [email protected].