Pangasinan hosts 100km ultra marathon

MANILA, Philippines - To further boost one of Pangasinan province’s major tourist spots, provincial and local government officials together with private groups are staging the inaugural Hundred Islands 100-kilometer International Ultra Marathon slated March 15-16 to and from Alaminos City.

“We want to promote the Hundred Islands not only as a local but also as an international tourist destination, which is the main reason we are organizing this ultra marathon,” said Alaminos 100 president and co-organizer Jones Campos in the recent PSA Forum.

Joining Campos in the session were Kate Celeste, representing her father, Alaminos Mayor Arthur Celeste, race director Philip Pacle of RenderFarm Sports, and a spokesperson for Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino.

“We have the full support of Mayor Celeste, Gov. Espino, and the other mayors of Bani, Anda, and Bolinao behind this project because we want Western Pangasinan, Alaminos in particular, to be recognized as a site for world-class sporting events,” said Campos, a veteran public relations and advertising man.

Pacle said the Ultra Marathon is actually a two-in-one event with the 100-km. marathon flagging off Saturday evening from the Lucap wharf of Alaminos, the home of the Hundred Islands, and passing through the towns of Bani, Anda, and Bolinao and back to the wharf.

The other is a 50-kilometer marathon on Sunday (March 16), from Bolinao and to the Lucas wharf, said Pacle, who himself has run the gruelling ultra marathon in 12 hours.

He revealed that among those who have signified their intention to join the 100-km. race, which offers a total pot of P300,000, are 2013 The North Face 100K Challenge champion Arnold Lozano of Baguio City and reigning BDM 100K king Joel Bengtay of La Trinidad, Benguet.

Pacle said also competing are marathon veteran Cresenciano Sabal, who will spearhead the Army team, and “Pinoy-Kenyan” Marcelo Bautisa, whose dusky features has often mistaken him to be from the African country famed for its long-distance runners.

Confirming their participation are some Kenyan runners and another â€œsurprise” elite runner from London, he added.