Monday, March 1, 2010

Takbo Juan: One Run, One Vote, One Country (February 28, 2010)




Congratulations to the organizers of Takbo Juan: One Run, One Vote, One Country (The First University Run) for the successful holding of the event on February 28, 2010 at UP Diliman, with categories of 3K, 5K and 10K. The run was aimed at uniting the youth to elect the right candidate this coming elections.

The event attracted several hundred runners only, which was unfortunate because the venue was one of the best places to run. But the relatively low turnout was not all that surprising because the registration sites were confined mostly to the campus premises. Also, except for Takbo.ph website, there seemed to be little or no promotion of the event elsewhere (but I could be wrong).

Like any inaugural run, the event had its shares of hits and misses. Overall though, it delivered well on the race essentials like the adequate water stations, well-positioned route markers, cheerful and friendly marshals, police and emergency crew presence, and other race paraphernalia. Despite the turnout, the participants seemed to have fully enjoyed the event. And for those who showed up for the love of running, there's no doubt they all went home smiling.

The Positives
  • Scenery. This was held in UP campus and certain stretches of the adjoining hi-ways, so the route featured a lot of trees and greens which made for a relaxing run. The antiquated designs of the college buildings added to the rustic feel of the environment - a welcome contrast from the bustling atmosphere of the city.
  • Very little vehicle interference. Although the route weaved through various roads and intersections inside the campus, there was very little vehicle traffic so the run went almost uninterrupted. Even the stretches in the main roads outside the campus were kept safely to the sides and away from the vehicles plying the roads.

Some Teething Problems
  • The event did not start on time. The slated gun time for the 10K event was 6 am but the actual start was delayed by about 20 minutes, maybe more.
  • The warm-up session was too long. This part was actually funny because of the whining. Nope, no one complained about doing the warm-up; after all, we all understand the importance of stretching. But when the warm-up became a full blown work-out session, the runners started to protest. We all moaned and griped about the length of the warm-up, but all in good jest. Still, we went along with the whole routine.
  • The route advisory was long and hard to follow. At this point we were all eager to run and the last thing we needed was a lengthy discourse on the route. In my view, route advisories should just be read from briefly written notes and not explained impromptu while the emcee follows the route in his mind. Besides, very few runners pay much attention to this, they just rely on the route markers and race marshals for direction.
  • Crowded oval. Since UP is a favorite place for those who jog or run, the oval got crowded with weekend runners and joggers, partially impeding the progress of those who were part of the race.

Again congratulations to the organizers. Congrats too to my two friends, Joybelle and Ritchie, who ran in this event with me. This was their first official race and they joined the 10K right away. I hope they made it to work today. Maybe we could train together more frequently in the coming weeks before our next race.