7-ELEVEN TO HOLD FIRST NATIONAL RUN
7-Eleven Run makes its debut in Cebu in a simultaneous race with Manila and Davao Winners in the 21K, 42K will get a chance to be sent to international races abroad
Something exciting will be in store for runners and running enthusiasts as the much-anticipated 7-Eleven Run will hit Cebu on Feb. 4 next year at the Cebu Business Park.
This will mark 7-Eleven’s foray into the national tunning scene since it will be a simultaneous race with Manila and Davao. This is the race’s sixth edition. “It will be our sixth year and our first time to do it simultaneously. Runners have been asking us when we will hold the run in Cebu. For 2018, we are happy to announce that we’ll do a race here,” said Michelle Saludes, the project head of 7-Eleven Run Series, during the press conference yesterday.
The run will feature the men’s and women’s 42-kilometer, 21K, 16K, 10K, 5K, 3K and 500-meter dash categories. The event will also have a tandem race in the 10K Buddy Run and 5K Buddy Run.
To make the race more exciting, the marathoners and half-marathoners in different areas – Cebu, Davao and Manila – will compete for the overall Top 3 for a slot in the international race in Asia.
“For the 21K and 42K, we will select three female and male Filipino runners with the best times coming from the three venues. We are doing this so we can send the best runners abroad,” said overall race manager Neville Manauis.
In the last edition, the top runners were sent to Danang International Marathon in Vietnam.
The three courses in Cebu, Davao and Manila will be measured and evaluated by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa), the governing body for athletics in the country.
“Every route has its own difficulty. We have to evaluate all different courses so we can achieve it to closest to being equal,” he said.
Huge cash prizes will be at stake for the winners. The 42K champions will win P25,000, the second placers will get P20,000 and P15,000 for third placers.
The top three in the 21K will get P20,000, P15,000 and P10,000, while P15,000, P10,000 and P7,000 for the 16K. The 10K Buddy Run, 10K individual, 5K Buddy Run, 5K individual and 3K will also shell out cash prizes.
The organizers are expecting to draw a total of 32,000 participants in the whole country following the 2017 edition in Manila, which drew close to 20,000 runners.
“All our registration will be done online. But we’re going to conduct an onsite at 7-Eleven Store to assist those who are having difficulty on registering online,” said Manauis.
The registration fee for the 42K is at P1,500, the 21K is at P1,000, the 16K at P800, the 10K individual at P700, the 5K at P600, 3K at P500, 500m dash at P400, 10K Buddy Run at P600 each and 5K Buddy Run at P500 each.