THE DUMAGUETE ADVENTURE MARATHON 2011

The Only “Rice is Life” Marathon

by: Dr. Aparicio Mequi

The Dumaguete Adventure Marathon which has its roots in the Leandro Sinco Challenge Races first staged in July 2006, is unique and different from its counterpart events held in the Philippines and other parts of the world, for two reasons.

First, the 42.195k route consists of flat city streets, trail paths, off-roads, steep lung-busting uphill and hard-breaking downhill runs, challenging even the most experienced runner as it provides an exhilarating view of Nature’s green forest and blue waters of the seas that surround the natural beauty of Negros Oriental. It is truly an eco-adventure run that beckons an unforgettable experience.

Secondly, it is the only marathon in the whole of Planet Earth that celebrates rice—a “symbol of cultural identity and global unity, shaping religious observance, festivals, customs and cuisine.” The DAM aims to create awareness that the key to rice and food sustainability, in the reduction of hunger and poverty, and environmental preservation for the present and future generation—is a CULTURE of CONSERVATION. In the registration form, participants make the pledge to “Save rice. Save lives.”

Rice—sacks and bags of rice—not cash, are the prizes that are awarded to the participants of the DAM, the only sports tourism event that promotes respect for the Golden Grain of Life.

The Dumaguete Adventure Marathon was a finalist in the 2009 Anvil Awards for promoting an active and wellness lifestyle and for contributing to the reduction of lifestyle diseases among Dumagueteños.

The Foundation University community members, numbering over 3,000, will participate in the 10.5km category, an offshoot of the institution’s “Quarter Marathon Program.” Under this program, all students taking up physical education are required to walk a distance of a quarter marathon for each of the four-semesters that they take up PE. Thus, upon graduation, they shall have walked a distance of a full 42km, making them, in a sense, “marathon walkers”.  Through this experience, they could adopt walking as a lifetime exercise for wellness—and likewise become advocates for local government public policy on pedestrian-based urban planning and development—and create “Walkable Communities” to mitigate Climate Change (now, a Climate Crisis).

The Jaguar Timing system utilizing electronic chips will be used to process the finishers’ time of some 4,000 participants who will join this biggest sport-tourism event in Negros Oriental, scheduled on November 20, 2011, as a component of the Dumaguete City Charter Day celebration and observance of the national “Rice Month” in November.

The DAM 2011 race categories are:

• 3-km for children aged under-13, children with disabilities (CWD), persons with disabilities (PWD), and senior citizens (60-above)
• 5-km for children 13-under to 17 years old
• Quarter marathon (10.5-km), by age category, 17-above
• Half-marathon (21.5-km), open category
• Full-marathon (42.195-km) open category

Other Rice-Related Events of the DAM 2011:

• “Rice is Life” Cookfest – a cooking competition among students/adults representing their schools, municipalities/cities featuring the cooking and preparation of rice-based dishes and traditional cooking practices (puso-making) aimed at preserving Filipino rice cooking tradition and culture.

• “Rice is Life” Rap and Hip-Hop Children Concert – Rap singing and hip-hop dancing are the young generation’s way of expressing themselves, hence, utilizing these as a medium for promoting an advocacy espoused by young people is a special feature of the DAM. Children representing schools and barangays sing and dance their original composition extolling love and respect for Rice—the Grain of Life.

• Book Launching of the Cebuano version of a children’s book on rice: Gabby Ghas, in book form, animation and Ebook. Upon the request of the Asia Rice Foundation, the Foundation University held a competition among school children for the translation of the English version into Cebuano. Children from schools in Siaton, the “Rice Granary” of Southern Negros, won the contest. Their work will be launched to the public as part of the DAM. GG is a delightful children’s book about a tiny grain of palay that “encapsulates for young people the hidden science behind the production of the world’s most widely eaten staple food.”

The “Rice is Life Marathon” has as its components a “Shoes for Children” project wherein used shoes from abroad are given to poor children who join the marathon running clinic, and copied by a popular marathon organizer; and a “Porridge for Children” lugaw feeding project, where volunteer students serve hot porridge to poor children and children with disabilities (CWDs) after the Sunday morning walk/runs.

Truly, the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon is not only an adventure in running but is also a medium for creating a “healthy people on a healthy Planet Earth.”