Runrio Awards Night 2013

Finally, after two years of observing (with envy) runners getting up the stage to receive their awards for completing the Run United Trilogy Running series, it was finally my turn to summit the 5-foot high stage and received the coveted medal of honor, uhh… it’s actually a dog-chain medallion!

But no matter, it was one worth the recognition of having finished not only the trilogy, but a fourth culminating race, the full marathon!

The awards night has been staged for the past three years and for this particular awarding ceremony held at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall Of Asia in Pasay City last Saturday, April 6, yours truly and about 600 others were recognized for completing the Run United Trilogy series, the 21k-21k-32k and the final Run United Philippine Marathon (42k) all held last year.

This year’s awarding ceremony was surprisingly low-key with a Mardi Gras celebration as theme. Held in one big corner of Annex-1, the event was held simultaneously with other sports exhibitors in a Sports and Wellness festival. Gone is the grandiose banquet, elaborate stage, top band performers and my favorite beauty queen celebrities!

It may have been low in frills this year but that didn’t take away the meaning, prestige and honor it bestowed to us runners, an award not lost to those who painstakingly completed all four events to be given this accolade!

Thanks to Coach Rio Dela Cruz, Unilab Active Health and to Ms. Vimz Mendoza of Runrio Events who by the way, snagged the Best Blogger of the year award, a well-deserved recognition for her non-stop dissemination of all Runrio and other running events to the local running community!

I’ll leave you all with some pictures of the event. Cheers!

And finally, up on the stage with Coach Rio

The Mardi Gras Dance Group

Stage was simple but no less exciting!

With probably the most photograph celebrity runner at the awards, the charming ‘Lucky’ Jackie Gutierrez, a co-awardee. (Photo by J. Ramizares)

With top running photographer and friend, Jose Ramizares, also an awardee

With the running bloggers

With blogger friends (Thanks to Bee Yen for the photo)

With Coach Rio. Appear! (Photo by KB)

PIMCO 1st Trail Runners Awards Night

Yesterday, i had my mind set on attending the 1st PIMCO Trail Runners Awards Night at the Grand Pearl Room, Room 498 Center in Mandaluyong City. It’s probably the first time that a Trail Runners award would be given out to acknowledge trail runners for their dedication, ranking and standing in the various PIMCO trail races that were held last year.

(Photo by M Degollacion)

I was really surprised finding a big crowd of runners attending the festivities. I was late coming in for the 6:00pm affair and didn’t notice any person crowding outside the building except for the 3 people at the registration table stationed at the ground floor. Upon entering the grand hall on the 2nd floor, the place was bursting with people, mostly awardees of the top PIMCO 100 trail runners on both the 21k and the 10k categories.

I took the last available seat at the back but was immediately led to the dining area first by gracious hosts while listening to the welcome speech of PIMCO President Manny Santos.

For a race organizer new to running or more so trail running, 2012 was a banner year for the Philippine Trail Running Association’s (PTRA) series of Trail races in Tanay which is under the auspices of Pimco Sporting Events. It’s advocacy for environmental protection and preservation of forests and mountains that includes tree planting, immediately spread like wild fire (no pun intended) to trail and mountain running enthusiasts.

The Love A Tree Discovery Run was their first salvo into Tanay’s trails, and i still recall running on the main highway combined with rough roads and trails plus long river crossings. Then the Nature’s Trail Discovery runs followed which was a Trilogy that culminated with a 21k lung-busting uphill climb on mountain trails near Daranak Falls.

I myself was a witness to this sort of mini-boom of trail running in Tanay. I encountered countless of torturous mountain climbs,  dangerous river crossings, on occasion lack of hydration and banana stations (hahah..) but then nothing beats the immeasurable amounts of fun and the gorgeous scenery that you won’t find in road running.

So back to the awarding ceremonies. The PTRA Running award categories include:

Best Team Award – (Sigue Correr)

Best Runner Photographer  –  (Ella MaraMelanie Dator Perez and from Team USB are co-awardee)

Best Trail Running Partners – ( Federated Distributors, Norphl and Tanay Mountaineers )

Trailblazers Award and Top 100 Trail Runners Award

Trail Runner of the Year Awards

Most Promising Female Trail Runners – (Alexandria Ahongon and Ellen Tolentino)

Best Media Partner –  (Manila Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)

Best Trail Running Blogger

The trail runners of the year were a revelation to some but came as no surprise to those who were regular participants of the Tanay trail race series. Goldy Dela Cruz and Maynard Degollacion were the Trail Runners of the Year for the 21k category while Robert Fiesta Ramones and his counterpart Iris Charine Torculas romped off as top runners for the 10k category.

21k  Female Trail Runner of the Year Award, Goldy Dela Cruz who won a Viking Trail Shoe from Norphl big boss, Cesar Valmadrid (middle)

10k Trail Runner of the Year Award, the statuesque Iris Torculas

With the male Trail Runners of the Year,  Maynard Degollacion (21k) extreme left and Robert Fiesta Ramones (10k) extreme right. Race Director Alvin Balderama (middle)

Also, awards went to the top 50 21k and 10k trail runners and to the 71 Trailblazers (Trilogy Finishers) which had them wearing nicely crafted medals.

To add to the above distinguished list of awards given, those included were, the Best Runner Photographer (individual and group) and the Best Trail Running Blogger of the Year Awards. The Individual Best Photographer was awarded to Ella Dator Perez while the group photographer went to Team USB.

To close out the awards given last night, yours truly was presented as the Best Trail Running Blogger for ” in recognition for outstanding contribution in the development and promotion of trail running through his blog”. Thank you so much, PTRA/PIMCO!

With Norphl President Cesar Valmadrid and Pimco Race Director, Alvin Balderama

Unprepared for this..

Thank you! (sniffs)…

Here are more pictures during the awarding ceremonies last night:

PIMCO President, Manny Santos

21k Awardees

10k Awardees

Wacky shot!

With Team Rock and Road

Goldy showing off her Trail Runner of the Year and Trailblazer medals!

One of the unusual picture poses!

Finally settling for a pause

During a break

Youngest trail runner (?)

Showing off their medals

So what’s in store for Pimco’s trail races for 2013? In case you didn’t know yet, a 50k ultra-marathon is scheduled this coming February 10, 2013 along with shorter distances of 24k, 12k and 6k runs. Few slots left so why don’t you register now? http://www.pimcosportsevents.com/

See you February 10!

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