5^th Quarter Marathon and 1^st 38.5 DUATHLON

Sunday, July 11, 2010 at 5:30 AM

The 5^th Leandro Sinco Challenge Races (3km, 5km & 10.5km Quarter Marathon) will start at the Robinsons Place through Perdices Street cross Old Banica River Bridge to the historic Rizal Boulevard and through the flat paved road of Barangays Looc-Piapi-Bantayan and turn back the same route to FINISH at the Robinsons Place. Turning Points for 3km Kiddie Run at the intersection of Tinago Bridge, the 5km will be in front of Don Atillano near the intersection of San Juan Street and 10.5 km turns in front of the SU Farm Gate at Brgy. Bantayan.

The 1^st Leandro Sinco Duathlon 38.5 km (2.1km Run-35 km Bike- 1.4 km Run) will pass through the 10.5km race route and then pass through the scenic countryside roads of the Municipalities of Sibulan and Valencia and the flat roads of Dumaguete City. The Duathlon route is a combination of out-back and loop course. The full course is a combination of 14-km uphill-downhill dirt and graded gravel roads through the countryside crosses the Camanjac-Calabnugan Bridge over the Ocoy River of Barangay Calabnugan in Sibulan, going to Brgy. Lower Balili-Cambucad roads in northern part of Valencia, run along Ocoy River down to Barangays Pulangbato and Palinpinon and a 20 km more or less flat paved road of Dumaguete City passing the roads of Barangays Looc, Piapi, Bantayan, Pulang-tubig, Daro and Candau-ay, Camanjac and all the way to the finish line at the Robinsons Place. The TRANSISTION point is located at the Mall Front parking area and the Milgos Security Agency commissioned to handle security.

COURSE DETAILS

• START. Assembly and start line at the Robinsons Place Mall Front
• FINISH. Finish line at the Robinsons Place Mall Front
• Run-Bike-Run transition point and Bike racks are located at the Mall Front parking area
• Mount & Dismount area is 15 meters from mall exit gate

The 3km Route:

1. Start at the Robinsons Place;
2. From start line run around through Exit Gate to Perdices Street;
3. Then turn right at corner Perdices & Lower Luke Wright Streets;
4. Then TURN BACK at Tinago Bridge turning point;
5. Then follow the same route going back to FINISH at the Robinsons Place.

The 5km Route:

1. Start at the Robinsons Place;
2. From start line run through Exit Gate to Perdices Street;
3. Then turn right at corner Perdices & Lower Luke Wright Streets;
4. Then turn left to Rizal Boulevard;
5. Then TURN BACK at intersection Rizal Boulevard and San Juan Streets;
6. Then follow the same route going back to FINISH at the Robinsons Place.

The 10km Route:

1. Start at the Robinsons Place;
2. From start line run through Exit Gate to Perdices Street;
3. Then turn right at corner Perdices & Lower Luke Wright Streets;
4. Then turn left to Rizal Boulevard;
5. From Rizal Avenue run straight to Flores Avenue in Brgy. Looc;
6. Then turn left to E.J.Blanco Road in Brgy. Piapi;
7. Then turn right (Piapi Crossing) to Airport Road;
8. Then TURN BACK in front of SU Farm;
9. Then follow the same route going back to FINISH at the Robinsons Place.

The Duathlon Route:

1. Start at the Robinsons Place and make 3-loops inside Robinsons Place;
2. Then pass inside transition area to get bike and straight to MOUNTING AREA;
3. From mounting area bike to Perdices Street;
4. Then turn right at corner Perdices & Lower Luke Wright Streets;
5. Then turn left to Rizal Boulevard;
6. From Rizal Avenue bike straight to Flores Avenue in Brgy. Looc;
7. Then turn left to E.J.Blanco Road in Brgy. Piapi;
8. Then turn right (Piapi Crossing) to Airport Road;
9. Then turn left (Bantayan Crossing) to Rovira Road;
10. Then cross North National H-way to Pulang-tubig;
11. Then straight to Dumaguete-Camajac Road;
12. Then turn right to Camajac-Calabnugan road and cross Calabnugan Bridge;
13. Then bike through Calabnugan-Lower Balili-Cambucad Road;
14. Then turn left to road passing Pulangbato-Palinpinon roads;
15. Then turn left to Candau-ay-Camanjac Road;
16. Then follow the same route going back to FINISH at the Robinsons Place.

The 1st Leandro Sinco Duathlon 38.5 km (2.1km Run-35 km Bike-1.4 km Run)

Then Katie Johnson, former ESL teacher of FU, emailed me an article published in the San Francisco Chronicle (May 15, 2010) titled Cycling good, but not good enough. The article explains that since most of everyone knows how to ride a bike, and cycling has long been considered one of the easiest and safest way to indulge in an aerobic workout — being gentle on the joints– it would be an excellent form of physical activity to take up. Doctors often recommend  biking for people  who are trying to lose weight.

It’s not as efficient as running though. The average person will burn more calories in 30 minutes of running than an hour of cycling – but it’s not as hard on body.

However, recent research suggests that cyclists may have reason to worry about more than just avoiding cars on the roads. “People who devote too much time to cycling, and don’t get enough of other forms of exercise may have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis because their bones don’t get enough of day-to-day pounding,” sport doctors say.

Studies indicate that cycling, without other forms of exercise may be too low-impact for good bone health. “No-impact exercise may have bad impact for bones. Many cyclists have suffered fragility as a result,” said Dr. Srinivas Ganesh, a sports medicine specialist with Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, a cyclist himself.

“We really try to tell cyclists it’s great try to tell cyclists it’s great what they’re doing, but you need to realize that the bones underneath those muscles are not as strong as they could be,” he said. “I tell my cyclists that they’ve got to get out there, and do something else, too.”

Several recent studies have found that professional cyclists have lower bone mineral density – a way of measuring the risk of developing osteoporosis – than people of the same age who are moderately active but don’t bike.

The theory is that bones are designed to get regular impact, even if it is just from walking around, and without that impact, the bones lose strength and density.

Even a casual walk down the street puts more impact on the bones than biking and cyclists who spend all their time biking would probably benefit from regular walks and hikes – or even better, a short, intense run a couple of times a week, said Dr. Thor Besier, director of research at Stanford University’s Human Performance Lab.

“Bones and cartilage are designed to withstand pretty large impact loads, and they like that kind of loading,” Besier said. “If all you did was cycle, and you compared yourself to someone who all he did was walk, wellm walking would provide much more stimulus for bone and cartilage health.”

Still, cyclists are often a stubborn bunch when it comes to getting off their bike. Besier himself said e is a competitive cyclist who doesn’t spend nearly enough time cross-training. “I should just get out and do a 10-minute run,” he said. “But i usually don’t.”

recreational cyclists probably don’t need to worry about there bone health, sports doctor said, but they still should consider adding in some sort of moderate-to high impact working every week.

Confronted with this research finding, Foundation University through its Institute of Youth Sports for peace, as a component of its social corporate responsibility will stage a three-quarter marathon (31.5 km) duathlon for bikers of Negros Oriental to help them stay healthier, and protec them from the bone-related maladies they are prone to.

What is a duathlon? “Duathlons are most similar to triathlons, with the key difference being the lack of swimming leg. It is much more specific, and there are three separate race sections, but only two sports. Primarily, people first run a set distance, then bike a set distance, and for the final event, run another set distance. ”

Standard distances fro duathlon may vary. For the initial staging we plan to undertake there will also be a major difference from the usual run-bike-run format. we plan to have just a race consisting of a 28.5 road-and-off with a threee kilometer run.

The regular route of Dumaguete Adventure Marathon, passing through Sibulan (Brgy. Calabnugan);Valencia(Brgy. Balili -Lower, Cambucad, Pulangbato Palinpinon); Dumaguete(Looc,Piapi, Camanjac, Tinago,Candau-ay, finishing off at Robinsons Place in barangay Calindagan) will be ulitilzed.

This event is set for july 2010, and will become an integral part of the 5th Leandro Sinco Challenge Races, held every year in commemoration of FU’s founding anniversary.

All bicycling enthusiasts of Negros Oriental are encouraged to start traing for the event. A regular run should be part of the training preparation. A token entry fee will be collected, and registration will be online. Log on to the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon website for information on developments.

1. Lani Ramon (Bread Camp )
2. Dr. Roulette Cordevilla (College of Arts and Sciences)
3. Dean Nenita Tayko (College of Nursing)
4. Dean Thelma Florendo (College of Education)
5. Nature’s Spring
6. Vibal Publishing Company
7. C & E Publishing Company
8. Pepsi Cola Philippines
9. Berovan
10. Philippine Rice Research Institute (Director Ronilo Beronio)
11. FU Student Organizations (Dean Lilian Sumagaysay)
12. Mayor Erwin Agustino (Ayungon)
13. Ariel Kho (Ayungon)
14. Vice Mayor Edsel Enardecido (Ayungon)
15. Mayor Rodrigo Alanano (Dauin)
16. Chuyte
17. Ana Marketing & Enterprises
18. Semigi Trading
19. FDS Marketing
20. Babing Store
21. Jusette Bancoro
22. Bethel Spring Water
23. Atty. Florence Tangente
24. FU Ladies Circle
25. School of Computer Science (Dean Dae Habalo)

A fireman from the Valencia Fire Station provides a cool shower to the runners.

Silay City runner Jason Agravante leads the pack to win the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon

Competitive runners for the 28.3-kilometer adventure marathon came from all over the country to include Dumaguete, Bacolod, Silay, Cebu, Diplog, Iloilo, Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Mandaue, Sta. Maria, Butuan, San Juan, Lapu-Lapu, San Carlos, Parañaque, Cavite, Bago, Talisay, Toldedo, Dapitan, and Pasig.

“This race was different from the other marathons in the country,” Dr. Aparicio Mequi, director of Foundation University’s Institute for Youth Sports and Peace (IYSPeace), which spearheaded the event, said. Unlike marathons that are run on flat urban roads, the participants of the adventure marathon saw scenic spots from Dumaguete’s Rizal Boulevard to the elevated barangay Calabnugan in Sibulan town, and barangays Balili and Palinpinon in Valencia town before heading back to Dumaguete, ending at the Sidlakang Negros Village.

“Marathoners have become tired of running on flat surfaces. We’re now giving them a different kind of marathon,” Mequi said.
Aside from the competitive 28.3 and 10 km category, there also was the five and three-kilometer fun run, which saw mostly students from Foundation University, accompanied by their teachers and administrators.

Jason Agravado, 21, of Silay City, completed the 28-kilometer adventure course in 1:38 minutes to win the race. Agravado, accompanied by a motorcycle-riding escort, arrived at the finish line way ahead of the other competitors. “Running an adventure marathon is good–we can see many things. A runner for the last four years, Agravado is looking forward to his next Dumaguete Adventure Marathon next year.

Wilbert Laurecio, 24, of Dumaguete City, finished second clocking what he described as an exciting race in 1′:53″. “It’s a different challenge,” Laurecio said, “the heart seems to compress while the thigh muscles ache like never before.” Laurecio had been joining several marathons throughout the country.

Edward Villareal, 25, of Dumaguete City, placed third. “It’s different–you exert double the effort in the uphill portion, but I had fun–it was an adventure!”

The race also attracted first-time visitors to Dumaguete City from Manila and other parts of the country. For Ofie Templo and Rose Pizzaro, of the Executive Runners’ Club of the Philippines (Runnex), the race was also a good time to see Dumaguete, where Templo’s grandfather is from. “The route is O.K. I like it because I saw a lot of things,” Templo, who joined the 10K run, said.

Runnex had also donated 60 shirts as well as numbers for the runners. “We’re here to support the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon because Dr. [Aparicio] Mequi has been our inspiration for our own running group,” Templo said.

Another participant was Arnald Pellini, an Italian researcher. “It was a very good race, although it was quite hard from kilometer 12-15. It was steep that an ambulance even could not make it up.” Pellini said the temptation to stop came after the 26th kilometer. “I hit the wall but I had to continue,” he said. Having lived in Dumaguete for the last six months, he said the Adventure Marathon was a good way of exploring the countryside. “It’s nice to see the hills and forest. Now I have more places to go whenever I run or ride my bicycle.”

Runners from the Triathletes Association from the Island of Negros (TRAIL) also came as a group. Manuel Trabasas of Bacolod said the race was challenging, especially during the uphill climb. Dr. Paul Mendez lauded the marathon organizers for a well-organized event. “Generally, it was OK,” Mendez said after crossing the finish line escorted by his two sons Joshua Paul and Jason Paul, who offered him flowers for finishing the 28-kilometer race.

Jovie Tuazon of the Negros Mountaineering Club said the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon, commended the event organizers for the successful event. “Sightseeing, adventure. Walang patawad sa uphill!” he laughed.

Another NMC teammate, Ronnie Calansingin, however, ended up at the Foundation University North Campus instead of the Sidlakang Negros finish line after he failed to make an important left turn. “No problem,” he said, “but it’s painful to run in the mountain–it’s different from the pace of normal running on the paved roads.”

True to Foundation University’s advocacy for rice conservation in partnership with the Philippine Rice Research Institute, the prizes for the marathon were sacks of rice, which were convertible to cash.

Engr. Deo Salem, president of the Metro Dumaguete Roadrunners’ Club, said the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon was a good eye-opener for Negros Oriental’s sports organizers. “We have a gift in the person of Dr. Mequi,” Salem said, explaining the success of the event.

The marathon also saw the cooperation of the City of Dumaguete, the Province of Negros Oriental, the City of Bayawan, The Municipality of Valencia, the Municipality of Sibulan, the One-Rescue Foundation, the Rotary Club of Dumaguete East, the Metro Dumaguete Roadrunner’s Club, Lee Super Plaza, Breadcamp, Nature’s Spring, Vibal Publishing, C&E Publishing, Inc., Gatorade and Pepsi.

Folk House – king size bed, sala set, spacious toilet and bath, fans and 2 breakfasts.
PHP 1200/night. Extra beds with breakfast PHP 200/night.

Roxy House-double bed with toilet and bath, fan, porch and 2 breakfasts. PHP 800/night.
Extra bed with breakfast PHP 200/night.

Reggae-double-deck beds, fans, lobby and breakfast. PHP 250/night. Extra beds with breakfast PHP 200/night.

FREE PICK-UP AND DROP OFF FROM AIRPORT, PIER OR BUS TERMINAL

TOURS
Dumaguete City Tour. This includes campus tours and bar hopping or simply promenading at Rizal Boulevard where Dr. Jose Rizal once walked before reaching his Dipolog Exile. aaah! Inn takes you downtown in 30 minutes, eat balut or tempura at the boulevard, watch the first set of a local band.

(6pm to 10pm; PHP 350/pax, minimum of 2 pax, excluding dinner, cocktails).

Baslay Hot Springs Tour. aaah! Inn takes you to a 45 minute ride then you go down 155 steps to a natural sauna where you can soak and relax your muscles. (half day; PHP 350 per pax, minimum of 2 pax, excluding lunch).

Casaroro Falls Tour. aaah! Inn takes you to Valencia in 30 minutes, then you transfer to habal-habal for another 30 mins of adventurous ride, descend to 334 steps to a river pathway to the falls surrounded by steep rock walls. (half day; PHP 650 per pax, minimum of 2 pax with snacks).

Twin Lakes Natural Park Tour. aaah! Inn takes you to Sibulan town in an hour to view the 106-hectare mountain lakes, 1000 meters above sea level. The twin lakes (Balinsasayao and Danao) are separated by a ridge and surrounded by thick forests and lush vegetation. You can avail of recreational facilities or trek thru a trail in the forest to a promontory where you can have a panorama of the twin lakes.

(Half day; PHP 500 per pax, minimum of 4 pax, with snacks).

Beach Tour. takes you to Zamboanguita in 30 minutes to the beach fronting the Apo Island. Swim and have sea food or BBQ lunch (included). On Wednesdays only, a side-trip to the Malatapay Livestock Flea Market and a special lunch of lechon. PHP 450 per pax, minimum of 2 pax, with lunch).

Mt. Talinis Climb. aaah! Inn takes you in 40 minutes to Bidiao, jump off area, where a local guide takes you in a 4-hour climb to a mountain lake where you can camp; 2-hour going down the next day to a sulfur vent; trek down in 3 hours to Valencia. aaah! Inn welcomes you back to your bed. (3 days; PHP 500 per pax, minimum of 2 pax, excluding meals, guide fees).

Nearby Beach. You can explore the place on your own. The nearby beach is 25 minutes walk.

Final preparations are being reviewed to ensure the smooth holding of the first-ever Dumaguete Adventure Marathon at 5:30 a.m. this coming Sunday, Nov. 22.

Dr. Aparicio Mequi, director of the Institute of Youth Spots for Peace (IYSPeace) at Foundation University, which is spearheading this event, said many runners from other parts of the country have already signified their intention to run on Sunday, which will bring the number of runners at about 3,000.

“This promises to be a fun event,” Mequi said in a final briefing before teachers and administrators of Foundation University last Friday.

Mequi said this marathon will be different from the other marathons being held in the country. ” Unlike marathons that are run on flat urban roads, the participants of the adventure marathon will see scenic spots from Dumaguete’s Rizal Boulevard to the elevated barangay Calabnugan in Sibulan town, and barangays Balili and Palinpinon in Valencia town before heading back to Dumaguete, ending at the Sidlakang Negros Village.
“Marathoners have become tired of running on flat surfaces. We’re now giving them a different kind of marathon,” Mequi, who is the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon’s prime mover, said.

The Dumaguete Adventure Marathon takes off from some of the famous adventure marathons held in the Great Wall of China, the Polar Circle and the African wilderness.

The marathon, which has a maximum distance of 28.3 kilometers, also gives runners the option to run only three, five or ten kilometers.Though slightly over the distance of a half-marathon, the intrepid road runner and adventure seeker will be challenged by a 3-kilometer uphill ascent to Barangay Balili starting at 110 meters above sea level and up to 390 meters above sea level. Coming down, the runners will be treated to natural scenic sights and views of the famous Cuernos de Negros (Horns of Negros) and the islands of Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor across the Mindanao Sea.

With technical support of the Metro Dumaguete Roadrunners Club and with the support of the local government units of Dumaguete City, Sibulan, Valencia and even Bayawan City, the annual event has now seen the participation of professionals, students, as well as children with disabilities (CWDs).

Interested participants may learn more about the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon by calling Foundation Unviersity at (6335) 4229167 local 55, or by logging on to the Dumaguetemarathon.com website.

Thus, there are thousands of marathons being staged all over the world the more famous being the Amsterdam, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, Honolulu, London, New York, Paris, Rotterdam and Stockholm Marathons.
In Asia, there are 77 marathons scheduled for this year, with Japan having 24, India (10), Taiwan (7), China (6), Korea (5) Thailand (4) and Malaysia (3). The Singapore marathon, scheduled on Dec 22, has more then 60,000 entries, forcing the organizers to stop further registration.

During the past three weeks, three international marathons were held in Metro Manila: 1st Quezon City international marathon, celebrating its 70th anniversary; the 2nd Subic international marathon; and the Pasig River international marathon with some 21,000 participants. It was a sight to behold on TV the multitude of walkers and runners with leading environmentalist, Gina Lopez, among the participants.

In Dumaguete and Negros Oriental, we have the three-year old Dumaguete Marathon, being promoted as the biggest sports tourism event in Negros Oriental. This year’s event is an “adventure” marathon, covering a distance of 28k, traversing several barangays in Sibulan, Valencia, and the City. To appreciate the “world-classiness” of the event, logon to its website: dumaguetemarathon.com.

The DAM, as a tourism event, features the following activities:

Nov 21 (Sat) – (Sidlakaang Negros)

1:30 pm – Opening of an exhibit by the DA-PhilRice, celebrating November as the Rice Awareness Month with the theme: “The future is bright, the future is rice.”

4:00 pm – Rap and Hip-Hop Concert by the Negros Oriental Children for Clean Water and the Environment (NOCCWE) with the theme: “Dumaguete City, the City of Gentle People.” The FU choral group, under the baton of our musical director, Alan Bana, will sing publicly for the first time, our version of a Dumaguete Song.

6:00 pm – Carboloading Party

Nov. 22 (Sun)

5:00 am – Assembly at Rizal Blvd
5:30 am – Start of 28k adventure marathon
6:00 am – Start of 10k, 5k and 3k

(At Sidlakaang Negros)
8:00 am – Rice Festival cookfest with high school and college HRM students competing in the preparation of puso (traditional rice wrapped in coconut leaves), bibingka and other rice delicacies, utilizing the traditional pugon and kalan by way of preserving our traditional cooking practices.

8:00 am – Awarding ceremonies for marathon
11.00 am – Awarding ceremonies for cookfest
12.00 noon- Closing ceremonies

The entire Foundation University community, faculty, staff and students will join the marathon to manifest its support in the effort to promote Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City as a tourism destination. It is FU’s gift in fulfilling the government’s development plan to make the Visayas region a national tourism hub.

I wish to acknowledge the offer of the Dumaguete Rotary South, through its president Dodo Bustamante, for the use of its ambulance and the support of the club’s Anns and family to set-up water stations in front of their residences for the runners who will pass through. This is the practice of residents in the famous marathons like Boston, New York, Chicago and even during the 1st Quezon City and Subic marathons where residents offered water and candy bars to the runners. Perhaps, we will likewise develop this same sense of community spirit of sharing and caring for others.

Jon Colburn’s Dumaguete Rotary East will provide medical doctors, cardiologists and medical assistance to the runners.

And most of all, the local government units of the Province, Dumaguete, Sibulan, Valencia, including the full force of their barangay units, are giving full support to the marathon.

FU’s annual gift—the marathon, will become the gift of everyone to our beloved Province and our City of Gentle People.