"Matthew 18:20 For when two or three are gathered unto my Name, there I am in their midst."
Got to quote from the Bible when I was requested by Race Director Zenik Chavez to have the opening prayer for the program before the start of the 2019 Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon last Aug 25. It was an impromptu request and I had no choice but to improvise.
After quoting from the Gospel of Matthew, I proceeded with these words - "...Dear Lord, we are not two nor three gathered this morning but more than 60. We are more than 60 disciples of the Gospel of Running. A gospel that is not only about personal glory but more importantly about camaraderie and solidarity. We pray for the strength of character for all our runners to persevere in finishing the race in a safe and fair manner. We pray for guidance for our race organizer, race director and race volunteers to give us a beautiful experience in this Sorsogon Marathon. This we ask in Jesus's Name, Amen. Our Lady of Penafrancia, Pray for us."
Truly, on that glorious morning by the bayside that is Rompeolas, Sorsogon City, I was surrounded by kindred spirits who are disciples of the Gospel of Running. But what exactly is this Gospel of Running?
The word Gospel literally means "good news." And with due and sincere respect to those who keep the good book very sacred, the message of the Bible is far far far more important and integral to our human lives. Nonetheless, the sports of running has its own innate good news to speak of.
What then are these good news? There are no sacred texts about running. Knowledge about this Gospel of Running is more oral history than written texts. Oral as the good news are not brought forth in words but are made self-evident with each running stride, each pump of the fist, each drop of the perspiration, each shout exhaled as a runner crosses the finish line. In my humble estimation, these good news are personal glory, camaraderie and solidarity.
And on that glorious morning of Aug 25, these good news were all made self-evident by the efforts of more than 270 runner participants.
Personal Glory.
Personal glory is the feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situations or achievements. And the achievements need not be great or world-shaking. That's the beauty of the sport of running. All can be winners, not just the podium finishers. It is about pursuing a quest, persevering to make it happen, no matter what.
The quest can be as varied as the colors of the rainbow. There is the quest to set a personal record (PR) in a particular distance. A quest to win the race or secure a place in the top 3. For many mere mortals, the quest is to simply finish the long distance running event within the cut off time. Or perhaps, some bucket list quest like running a full mary or ultra marathon in all 82 provinces of the country, one province at a time.
Lets take a look at some of the personal glory attained in the 2019 Sorsogon Marathon:
CAMARADERIE & SOLIDARITY:
The Maasai people have a saying - "If you want to travel fast, go alone. But if you want to travel far, go together." These words encapsulate the essence of camaraderie and solidarity.
Camaraderie is mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. Camaraderie in running is characterized by a lot of cheering, shouting and hugging in the finish line. And with the dawn of the age of the smart phone, a lot of selfie/groupie picture taking before, during and after the race. Any time you express support of a group or the people in it, you're showing solidarity with them. The word is used most often to describe a sense of unity with a political group , a group of striking workers perhaps. Without a doubt, the word solidarity can be used to describe the sense of unity within the running community. Runners show our own solidarity by flashing a thumbs up to fellow runners we meet or clap vigorously to runners approaching the finish line, no matter if it is the first runner or last runner.
In addition, runners show solidarity by offering and sharing food and drinks with fellow runners during the race or by a form of good samaritan work for a fellow runner. Which is what exactly happened on the day before the running of the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon.
During the claiming of the race bibs in the afternoon of Aug 24, the day before the start of the race, the weather condition in Sorsogon City's baywalk was quite windy enough to blow away the race bibs into the water. True enough, the race bib of one of the row5runners, Irene, was blown away into the water. Good thing, the race bib was placed inside a plastic envelope. We could see the plastic envelope floating on the water. But how to retrieve it? Out of nowhere, like a Superman fresh from a custom change in a phone booth, a runner by the name of Chard appeared with a long pole to save the day for Irene.
And there were a ton of camaraderie and solidarity on display in Sorsogon City as a result of the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon:
There you have it. A menagerie of personal glory, camaraderie and solidarity we witnessed in Rompeolas - a place that got its name from the Spanish word rompir : "where the waves cavort." Truly, we witnessed not only the waves cavorting but runners, running groups, race organizer, race director and race volunteers alike on that Sunday morning.
Cavorting to the Gospel of Running.
Amen to that.
Photo credits: Agnes Benavides, RUNconada, Irene Sacbibit, Aura Reduta, Noemi Bonaobra, Teresa Mae Senining, Aniahs Cabrera
The word Gospel literally means "good news." And with due and sincere respect to those who keep the good book very sacred, the message of the Bible is far far far more important and integral to our human lives. Nonetheless, the sports of running has its own innate good news to speak of.
What then are these good news? There are no sacred texts about running. Knowledge about this Gospel of Running is more oral history than written texts. Oral as the good news are not brought forth in words but are made self-evident with each running stride, each pump of the fist, each drop of the perspiration, each shout exhaled as a runner crosses the finish line. In my humble estimation, these good news are personal glory, camaraderie and solidarity.
And on that glorious morning of Aug 25, these good news were all made self-evident by the efforts of more than 270 runner participants.
Personal Glory.
Personal glory is the feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situations or achievements. And the achievements need not be great or world-shaking. That's the beauty of the sport of running. All can be winners, not just the podium finishers. It is about pursuing a quest, persevering to make it happen, no matter what.
The quest can be as varied as the colors of the rainbow. There is the quest to set a personal record (PR) in a particular distance. A quest to win the race or secure a place in the top 3. For many mere mortals, the quest is to simply finish the long distance running event within the cut off time. Or perhaps, some bucket list quest like running a full mary or ultra marathon in all 82 provinces of the country, one province at a time.
Lets take a look at some of the personal glory attained in the 2019 Sorsogon Marathon:
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| Another 1st place finish at the 42kms for perennial Champion Eugene. Inquired as to how many marathons he has won, he replied, without a hint of bravado nor malice, "Dai kuna po sir matandaan sa gulpi na marathon na dinalaganan ko." |
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| Being a podium finisher is getting to be a habit for Chito. A member of the successful Legazpi Running Team (LRT), Chito placed 3rd in the half marathon category of the Sorsogon Marathon. Asked on why he wears the yellow #OneForLeila running shirt, his response - "Opo parati ko po sinosoot para sa idol kong Senator." |
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| The 2019 Sorsogon Marathon is extra special for Rovi of Team Uragon Ultra Runners. Her daughter was present in the finish line to give her a hug. Asked to describe the emotions, Rovi wrote - "All the pain and hardship I endured during the final stretch of the race was all for her - she wanted me to have a podium finish for I have always been the 4th or 5th female finisher(s) in most of the races I joined since Nov 2018." Rovi finished 3rd among all female finishers in the 42km category. Wish granted to her daughter. |
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| At 66 years old, veteran Tatay Danny is proving that retirement time is still far away. Finishing the 42kms of the Sorsogon Marathon was a walk in the park for the 8-time finisher of the Mayon 360 Ultra. |
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| A classy finish is what we have learned to expect from Mia . Yet again, at the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon, she is a podium finisher, placing 2nd among the ladies in the full marathon. But beyond the horizon, Mia is preparing diligently for the Spartan World Championships to be held in Lake Tahoe, California later this year. She got the invite for this prestigious event thru qualifications in the Philippine national and Southeast Asian regional levels. No shortcuts for personal glory. |
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| Finally, a PR in the half marathon for Noemi of LRT. Elite and non-elite runners alike all long for a taste of personal glory in the form of a personal best on a particular distance. Continuous improvement is real in the running world. |
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| 1st half marathon. No problem. Sai of Ligao Running Team finishes among the Top 5. Personal glory can be had by veterans and newbies. |
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| The Bicolano Penguin is the very last runner to cross the finish line. But I still got a cool smile in the finish line. Why? Because I finished within the cut-off time. And simply by finishing, I bagged my 19th province. My bucket list quest continues to run a full marathon or ultra marathon in all 82 provinces of our beloved country. |
The Maasai people have a saying - "If you want to travel fast, go alone. But if you want to travel far, go together." These words encapsulate the essence of camaraderie and solidarity.
Camaraderie is mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. Camaraderie in running is characterized by a lot of cheering, shouting and hugging in the finish line. And with the dawn of the age of the smart phone, a lot of selfie/groupie picture taking before, during and after the race. Any time you express support of a group or the people in it, you're showing solidarity with them. The word is used most often to describe a sense of unity with a political group , a group of striking workers perhaps. Without a doubt, the word solidarity can be used to describe the sense of unity within the running community. Runners show our own solidarity by flashing a thumbs up to fellow runners we meet or clap vigorously to runners approaching the finish line, no matter if it is the first runner or last runner.
In addition, runners show solidarity by offering and sharing food and drinks with fellow runners during the race or by a form of good samaritan work for a fellow runner. Which is what exactly happened on the day before the running of the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon.
During the claiming of the race bibs in the afternoon of Aug 24, the day before the start of the race, the weather condition in Sorsogon City's baywalk was quite windy enough to blow away the race bibs into the water. True enough, the race bib of one of the row5runners, Irene, was blown away into the water. Good thing, the race bib was placed inside a plastic envelope. We could see the plastic envelope floating on the water. But how to retrieve it? Out of nowhere, like a Superman fresh from a custom change in a phone booth, a runner by the name of Chard appeared with a long pole to save the day for Irene.
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| Good Samaritans do not exist only in the Bible. They live among the community of runners in Bicol. Chard is a runner from Sorsogon City who retrieved from the waters off Rompeolas the race bid of Irene, a row5runner from Naga City. Has fate would have it, both are 5km participants in the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon. Mark this as Exhibit A of the Good News of the Gospel of Running. |
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| The Camaraderie of the Caceres Runners. CRC consistently sends the bigger, if the not the biggest, contingent in the local races in Bicol. In the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon, it had more than a dozen participants of varying proficiencies in running. . |
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| Camaraderie of the Legazpi Running Team. Flashing the "L" sign, the LRT runners proudly display their medals and trophies. The 'L" sign does not mean the iconic Laban but the beautiful city of Legazpi. It could also mean"Leader" as many of their members placed in the top 3 of the race categories. |
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| Camaraderie of the "Usual Suspects." As in mga "suki" of the many beautiful races that Bicol has to offer. |
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| Camaraderie of husband-wife. Allen and Cyril having a fiesta with fellow row5runners as they approach the finish line. A blissful kind of family bonding. |
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| Camaraderie of the CycloTitas. A lively bunch of accomplished lady entrepreneurs who are passionate about a healthy exercise lifestyle. Started with cycling, they have caught as well the running bug. Their colorful flair is a refreshing addition to the local running community. |
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| Camaraderie of Classmates. Bob and Ernie are members of High School Class of 1983, one of the runningest batches of the Ateneo de Naga. Funny as to how, as we advance in age, our barkada gimik evolve from Friday night inuman to Sunday morning binge on a lot of running. For the two, the running has been prolific and long. The longest that Bob has ventured is 250kms at the Manila to Baguio Ultra while Ernie has survived the 160km Bataan Death March Ultra. |
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| Camaraderie of row5runnin. A day before the running of the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon, the row5runners enjoyed nature at the Mangrove Resort in Paguriran. A lot of time to swim, sleep and eat. Slowin the pace in life or Chillin in the run. That is our DNA in Camp Row 5. |
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| Solidarity of a Race Director. Cyrus is one of the more successful race directors in the Bicol running community, having organized several races for RUNconada and other groups. Although not a participating runner, he was present at the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon to take photos. Cyrus also took the opportunity to advertise an upcoming trail race (Bolt 25) of another race director. |
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| Camaraderie & Solidarity of the Race Organizer, Race Director and Race Volunteers. Without them, a marathon will not be possible. Often a thankless job, organizing a race is a vocation for a select and sturdy few. Hanz, Zenik and their team did a good job with the Stadtlaufer Sorsogon Marathon. |
Cavorting to the Gospel of Running.
Amen to that.
Photo credits: Agnes Benavides, RUNconada, Irene Sacbibit, Aura Reduta, Noemi Bonaobra, Teresa Mae Senining, Aniahs Cabrera
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