RUPM fires off on Oct. 6 to much fanfare

MANILA, Philippines – Run United Philippine Marathon (RUPM), the third and last leg of the RunRio Trilogy, is even more in demand than its inaugural run last year, with only slots for Ceelin 500m dash remaining.

“Demand for this race is really high. The half and full marathon slots (21km and 42km) got full five and three weeks, respectively, before race date (Oct. 6). Most of our participants belong to the "progressive set" – runners who have been continuously challenging themselves with longer distances or better PR,” said Alex Panlilio, Head of Unilab Active Health (ULAH).

RUPM, which is on its second year, will feature four race categories namely: Ceelin 500m, Hydrite 10km, Alaxan FR 21km and Enervon Activ 42km.

“RUPM is also much-awaited as it wraps up our run races for the year. The runners are also excited to finally complete their United medal for Run United 1, 2 and RUPM,” added Panlilio.

Ly Nary, 42, of Phnom Penh, Cambodia is among those hoping to finish strong at RUPM.

“I hope to finish among the top three females in the 42km foreign category with a target of 3hours and 30 minutes,” she said.

Nary was a finisher of Paris Marathon. Her participation at RUPM is supported by the United Pharma company in Phnom Penh.

“I am excited to see the Filipino running community and to explore the Philippines after the race. I really look forward to this great experience with the United Filipinos!,” she added.

Many-time Ironman finisher Dan Brown has also followed a regimen in preparation for RUPM. Brown, who is also one of the Unilab Active Health ambassadors, considers physical and mental preparation as key to achieving an excellent race.

“I am preparing by doing a short period of specific run overload. I have been increasing my weekly run distance by around 30 percent over the past month or so. I have been adding in some longer intervals at or just below goal race pace to simulate what my body will need to do at 3AM on October 6,” said Brown.

“I also start to prepare my mind to suffer a little towards the end. I know things will get tough as the body breaks down so I have to be aware and ready mentally for that,” he added.

The completed UNITED medal from the 2013 Run United Trilogy series (21-21-21, 21-32-21, 21-32-42) fits together with the RUPM finisher’s medal. According to Unilab Active Health, securing all these medals is a testament of the runners’ commitment to continuously exceed themselves in the field of running.

The 3,000 Enervon Activ 42km runners and finishers will get a VIP treatment – before, during and after the race. First off, they will be among the first to try and taste Active Health's latest offering in its Sports Nutrition Line – the Active Health Sports Gel, which will be launched at Run United Philippine Marathon. On top of Gatorade, ION Energy Drink, water, sponges and bananas will be given out at certain points of the routes.

This year, the red-carpet finish for the 42km finishers will be right inside the Active Health Village, through a short tunnel carved underneath the main stage. The runners’ companions can cheer at the cordoned-off spectators’ waiting area, and at the main stage audience area. All 42km finishers will be given an ice cold glass of Enervon HP Recovery Drink, a grooming station complete with staff will be on standby to make sure that they will look their best in the photo-ops at the finish line.

Runners can start their rest and recovery routines by attending a post-race talk and stretching at the Enervon Activ Marathoners’ Lounge where they will get limited edition RUPM commemorative slippers. The University of Santo Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences will provide physical therapy and stretching services inside the Active Health Village. 

All categories except for 42km will have start and finish line at the SM Mall of Asia; the 42km category will start at Bonifacio Global City and finish at SM Mall of Asia. Gun starts are as follows: 500m dash at 7:00 a.m.; 10K at 5:30 a.m.; 21K at 4:00 a.m.; and 42K at 3:00 a.m.

 â€œWe have been offering the 42K category for only two years and we are happy that we have established a good reputation. RUPM has its own following now. It has become the last big run race for most runners for the year. We are looking forward to celebrating yet another successful running year with our loyal participants,” said RunRio’s Rio Dela Cruz.

RunRio will hold a special awards’ night for participants who registered and finished the 21km category in Run United 1, 32km category in Run United 2 as well as the 42km category in RUPM. Awards will be given to the top three overall winners (women and men) in all distance categories.

Besides gifts and certificates from Unilab and other sponsors, the top three male and female RUPM winners will also receive cash prizes: for 10km winners, (P4,000/P5,000/P6,000) and for 21km winners (P6,500/P7,500/8,500). There will be two categories for the 42km categories, Filipinos and Non-Filipinos. The top three winners in each category will get P25,000/P18,000/P12,000 respectively.

For more race information and results, interested parties may visit ULAH’s official website at unilabactivehealth.com as well as it Facebook and Twitter accounts.