With inflation ruling the day in the running world as it is with much of modern day society, the days of a full marathon having a registration fee of only Php 500 have long been gone. With tech-savvy and fancy modern-day race organizers acting like rapacious big game bounty hunters in the African savanna in the name of the all-mighty peso, it would seem that the Php 500 marathon has been driven to extinction from the face of the Philippine running map.
But wait a running minute. I hear murmurs from the fabled land of "solsogon". Murmurs of a full marathon that could be had with a peso bill where the patriotic Aquino couple resides. Impossible!
Look again. Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon just posted this poster on Facebook. Proof positive that such a mythical beast exist. If it is in facebook, it must be true? Right?
Case closed? Wait a darn minute. Both real news and fake news have been known to habituate Facebook. Fair enough.
Best thing to do to verify the existence of the Php 500 Marathon is get in touch directly with the man behind the event. He is Hanz Bernard Labitag, a pilot and aeronautical engineer by profession. Hanz is an avid runner as evidenced by his participation in the Milo Marathon in Manila and in ultra events like the MATSU and the Nag-Hibi in the Bicol region. He is also a voracious reader with the likes of Peter Thiel, Adam Smith and Carmine Gallo among his favorite authors. A sole man and a man of letters equals passion to the max. And that passion has lead him to begin organizing running events that showcase the natural splendor of his home province of Sorsogon.
In October of 2018, he organized the first Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon with Zenik Chavez and the local ultramarathon group - Team Oragon Ultra Runners TOUR. Technically, it wasn't a marathon given that the distance was only 13.1 in miles. But with 250 runners joining from all over Bicol and even some from Samar, Cebu and Manila. Many of them with smile on their faces when they crossed the finish line. Not bad for a first venture.
So, the team is back at it again with the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon, this time the full enchilada of 26.2 miles. The real deal and I got the opportunity to ask Hanz on the real score on a handful of questions:
Why Stadtlaufer?
"I research and study the history of different marathons in the world and what makes them unique. The first step was to create a brand name that people will recognize it as a running event and foreign sounding that even foreign athletes come to Sorsogon to be part of the running event. I checked global name in the Intellectual Property Office. In 2017, I created the brand "Stadtlaufer" meaning "city runner." The brand under this name is protected by law."
"I want that every one can run a marathon by having affordable and friendly registration fee."
What's with the medal design?
"I tried to design the best medal for the runners when they cross the finish line. At the front of the medal, it is 3D with iconic landmark of Sorsogon City and 2D at the back with Sorsogon provincial map and airplane symbol of travel and tourism and symbolizes plans, ideas, or projects taking off."
Granted. He is fairly new in the game. Need to know how well will he and his team be in running the 2019 Sorsogon Marathon come Aug 25. A look at the past is a good predictor of the future. Perhaps, checking out the 2018 Sorsogon Marathon gives us a good idea as to what to expect for the 2019 edition.
To be exact, the 2018 edition wasn't actually a full mary but a half a marathon ++. Nonetheless, the Oct 7, 2018 running event was well attended by many of the prominent and promising runners our Bicol region has to offer. The Bicolano Penguin got to communicate with more than half dozen of these 2018 participants and surveyed them on a few questions focusing on their rating of the 2018 Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon, negative observation and positive experience. The results of that survey are shown in the table below which we lovingly call the Running Delphi Oracle (RDO) in honor of the forecasting process framework Delphi Method.
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| PAL pilot Hanz Labitag |
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| 2 passionate runners - Zenik & Hanz who worked together to organizer a marathon for their beloved Sorsogon |
Why Stadtlaufer?
"I research and study the history of different marathons in the world and what makes them unique. The first step was to create a brand name that people will recognize it as a running event and foreign sounding that even foreign athletes come to Sorsogon to be part of the running event. I checked global name in the Intellectual Property Office. In 2017, I created the brand "Stadtlaufer" meaning "city runner." The brand under this name is protected by law."
Why only Php 500?
"I want that every one can run a marathon by having affordable and friendly registration fee."
What's with the medal design?
"I tried to design the best medal for the runners when they cross the finish line. At the front of the medal, it is 3D with iconic landmark of Sorsogon City and 2D at the back with Sorsogon provincial map and airplane symbol of travel and tourism and symbolizes plans, ideas, or projects taking off."
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| Race Organizer Hanz Labitag with Aiza Bender, one of the podium finishers at the 2018 Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon. |
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| Prominent and promising local runners participated in the 2018 Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon (half marathon at 13.1 miles) |
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| Running Delphi Oracle (RDO) table for the 2018 Sorsogon Marathon reflecting the rating made by 7 runner-participants. They are all anonymous. Very interesting to see all 7 runners responding that they will run again the Sorsogon Marathon this coming Aug 25. |
The candid results are encouraging. 5 out of 7 runners gave the 2018 event a rating of at least 8 with one runner giving a perfect 10. Some room for improvement particularly on the lack of marshalls and hydration stations but overall the experience has been positive for many. The fact that all 7 runners are coming back to join again the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon this Aug 25, 2019 is proof positive of this event being worthwhile.
So, what you waiting for boys and girls of all ages? Time to register for the 2019 Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon. Deadline for registration is Aug 20.
This Php 500 marathon is as real as it gets. The Php 500 marathon is back from extinction. Thanks to a running dreamer in Sorsogon.
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