Record field expected in Run for Pasig River

MANILA, Philippines - Organizers of the “11.20.2011 Run for the Pasig River” expect yet another banner field when the eco-foot race fires off Sunday starting at CCP and Pedro Gil along Roxas Blvd. and ending at the Mall of Asia Complex.

Monchet Olives, chief strategic officer of ABS-CBN Foundation, said some 116,000 have already registered for the 3k, 5k and 10k races of the advocacy run that aims to raise funds for the cleanup of Pasig River.

“We’re optimistic we’ll meet big numbers but not really break the Guinness World Record this year, considering there are many other running events scheduled at this time,” Olives said in a press briefing yesterday.

Last year, actual participants reached 116,086 runners, breaking a 20-year-old world mark for the “Most number of participants in a racing event.”

Olives also announced that the “11.20.2011 Run for the Pasig River” will do away with initial plans to utilize radio frequency identification (RFID). Independent auditing firm Sycip, Gorres and Velayo (SGV) has been tapped to count the runners instead.

“We’ll be spending around P4 million on RFID so we opted to abandon it and instead use such amount for the Pasig advocacy program,” he said.

Proceeds of the registration fees – P300 for 3k and 5k (students get discounted rate of P150) and P450 for 10k run – will be allotted to the initial rehab of Estero de San Miguel.

“Our goal is to generate the same amount as last year, which is P10 million net,” Olives said.

Karylle, Kim Atienza and “Pinoy Biggest Loser” grand winner Larry Martin will lead ABS-CBN celebrities who will take part in the races.

Also on tap is the “Heritage Run,” a special 21k event for invited guests and VIPs headed by ABS-CBN Foundation managing director Gina Lopez. They will negotiate a route passing by Estero de Paco, the area that benefited from last year’s staging.