Run Rio Trilogy Awards Night

It wasn’t as glitzy and Hollywood-esq like last year but this year’s Runrio Trilogy Awards Night at the Decagon Theater in Silver City, Ortigas retained its classy and vibrant vibe to it, very well-attended as well, a greatly-organized gala dinner!

It had all the right ingredients to make the gala night not only meaningful and enjoyable but to give honor and prestige to the efforts of all the awardee-runners who painstakingly completed the Run United Trilogy Series in completing the 21k-21k and 32k trilogy runs. (I did the 10k-21k-32k but even if you ramble those numbers, it won’t count!)

Whether you were a speedster or a plodder didn’t matter as all completists were honored in the same stage which Coach Rio no less, giving the medallions and finishers shirts. There were huge smiles as photos of runners were taken on stage with a big screen on the back magnifying their well-deserved awards.

What more can you say when you run 3 fabulous races, be awarded for it and then get to eat and drink the night away with other runners! I’m starting anew for this year’s Trilogy! See you on Sunday for the first Run United 21k Race!

The stage

The evening's host Tricia Chiongbian and Anthony Suntay

The early birds

At our table

Coach Rio with runner awardee, Daves Espia

With the lovely Coach Zinnia of Multisports

Yikess!:-)

We should be the ones hanging those medals on them, right Pedz?:-)

With L-R: Vener, Jet, moi, Bro J, BR and Baby

RunRio Blogger of the Year, Banjo Assidao (photo by Dennis, RunningPinoy)

Philippine All-Stars (Photo by RunningAtom)

With Nora (on my left) who we haven't seen for a while

The ladies goofin' around..L-R: Mommies Let, Vimz, Jaymie and Gigi

Group picture

Rio’s Gala Awards Night

The set stage was like a podium for the “stars”, taken straight from the annual American academy awards with all the trimmings of glitter and flashing lights with two giant replicas of an Oscar trophy ready to be awarded to the winning male and female actors.

Except that these actors are actually runners who were going to be given recognition for participating in all RunRio Trilogy races while completing the 21km/21km/32/km in legs 1, 2 and 3 of last year’s Trilogy runs, respectively.

The Decagon at Silver City in Frontera Verde, Pasig was transformed like a Hollywood Kodak Theater and like most RunRio events, everything was amazingly set-up; the red-carpet entrance, a photo-wall where verybody lined-up to pose and have their pictures taken before entering the hall. Attention to detail was obviously done and showed an impressive set, the result of meticulous arrangement and design.

Inside were two large screens to show the highlights of last year’s races and no less than than the band, 6 Cycle Mind rendered the Run Rio Theme song and the world famous Philippine All-Stars dance group mezmerized the audience with their svelty moves.

To get the event stirring, Coach Rio dela Cruz, organizer of the RunRio Trilogy invited Ms. Venus Raj and graced the occassion in a smashing mini-dress outfit as some of the guys jumped from their tables to take their pictures with her (me included). She is first cousin to Coach Rio. During the show, the guests were treated to a sumptuous buffett dinner by Paul Calvins and a variety of wines, vodkas and other spirits were overflowing at the bar.

Awards were given and major sponsors like Unilab, BGC, 100 plus, Nature Valley, Century Tuna, Globe, Summit Media, etc were on hand to award the plaques and medals. After the show, Coach Rio’s staff was given a rousing, well-deserved standing ovation for the success of the event and for the great races they organized.

This first ever awards night was definitely an awesome affair, the very first in the sports of running in the country and it would set the pace for more well-organized runs and expect more of this in the coming years ahead.

Here are some pictures:

The stage setting

At the other end

With Vima, Art and Amado

Part of the crowd

With Venus

With the man of the hour, Coach Rio

With the show’s emcees

The awarding ceremonies

With the bloggers

With Doc marvs and emcee, Tricia Chiongbian

With the gang

With some of the dancers

That's Zzzz...