TBR DREAM MARATHON 2020: Now we are 50.

55 actually to be exact.

With the success of 10 of our First Balfour runners last Feb 16, our company now has 55 employees who have finished their full marathon at the Bull Runner Dream Marathon. Clad in the golden yellow shirt to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of First Balfour, one by one these determined engineers, accountants and procurement specialists crossed the finish line at the Clark Parade Grounds on that beautiful Sunday morning and laid  legitimate claim to the  proud title - I am a MARATHONER.

Super duper CONGRATULATIONS to our freshly-minted marathoners in First Balfour:

Alfred Pascual  (Bib# 0771)  -  5:57:49   
Rainier Tom  (Bib# 0973)  -  6:15:56             
Abegail Consorte  (Bib# 0282)  -  6:26:47
Jonalyn Ayangwa  (Bib# 0095)  -  6:26:50
Justine Mondelo  (Bib# 0679)  - 6:32:23
Jeddel Imbat  (Bib#  0519)  -  6:58:51
Abram Veloria (Bib# 1013)  -  7:10:54
Mike Banta  (Bib# 0121)  -  7:17:45
Jose Luna  (Bib# 0604)  -  7:23:58
Emil Teodoro (Bib# 0965)  -  7:30:43
         

First Balfour 2020 Dreamers with their pacers. 

Route map

All 10 First Balfour runners will have their own inspiring tale to tell. Nonetheless, we can expect that a common thread for the stories is that the success in their  first TBR Dream Marathon is a result of hard work and team work. No substitutes for these attributes which would be crucial to success as well in our construction industry.  With the grace of God, adherence to the training program,   assistance from First Balfour  thru its  HR-Employee Relations team,  and the patience of pacers, there is much to be thankful for.    

Training for our 2020 dreamers in First Balfour  started in Aug 2019 in Batangas...

...up to January 2020 in the Fat Ass Run...

...and even up to the 2nd Saturday of February where we had a dress rehearsal in UP Diliman.  

In those training runs, older TBR alumni from First Balfour guided the newbie 2020 dreamers.  

The list of First Balfour runners who are alumni of the TBR Dream Marathon program is long. It stretches back to 2010, the very first year of this historic program, and continually produces a very high success rate for many years already.  It is a blessing that the pursuit of being a marathoner is aligned with First Balfour's mission/vision of uplifting the lives of the Filipino.  As part of the Lopez group of companies, First Balfour's core values includes Employee Welfare & Wellness . All employees (officers and rank & file) are encouraged to walk the talk the core values.  For First Balfour alumni of the TBRDM, they have been running the talk beyond  a decade already.   

Let us count the years.

2010:  Macky de Lima

2012:  Lily Santamaria, Rose Dalawampu & Icar Hombrebueno

2013: Emman Balamban & Delsie Giray

2014:  Iya Pe & Joy Castillo

2015:  Richelle Hua, Ems Ros, Alice Monfero, RJ Santos, Joram San Luis & Migo Antonio

2017:  Limuel Banaag, Gemma Miranda, Kristoff Flores, Aya Villapando, Albert Liwanag, Anton Opelario, Renz Javier, Jovie Albao, Arlene Diaz, Ronnie Liu, Jane Estilong, Romy Sison, Danny Castro & JP Acevedo.   

2018:  Joanna Piano, Michaela  Inonog, Joanne Hubilla, Kimberly Levanza,  Ronna Bautista, Manuel Calma, MC Gopez  Malcolm Lorimer,  Angel Alvarez & Matthew Viloria.  

2019:  Justine Cantos, Siege Camero, Jeanet Lanting,  Janna Cruz, Gio Losloso, Raymond Villapol & Ep Manalo  

2020:  Jose Luna, Alfred Pascual, Michael Banta, Emil Teodoro, Abram Veloria, Justine Mondelo, Rainier Tom, Jeddel Imbat, Jonalyn Ayangwa & Abegail Consorte

The TBR Dream Marathon  is a brainchild of Jaymie Pizarro aka the Bull Runner. Thru more than a decade of the TBRDM, Jaymie and her team have  proven to be adept organizers and savvy marketers, growing the program from an inaugural number of 300 runners in 2010 to more than 5,000 TBR Dream Alumni by the time the 10th year was celebrated in 2019.

But the 2020 edition of the TBRDM was in danger of not happening when force majeure events reared their ugly heads in the first two months of the new year.  In mid-January, there  was the Taal Volcano eruption that necessitated the transfer of the marathon venue from the Filinvest Alabang grounds in the southern part of the Metro Manila to the Clark Parade grounds up north in Pampanga so as to avoid ill effects from the ashfall.  Then by end-January and early February, the Wuhan virus went maleficently viral and is now threatening to become a global pandemic.

Given the overall concern for the safety of the participants,  the Feb 16 event almost got cancelled.  After all, many sporting events in Asia and the rest of the world got cancelled. The Hong Kong Marathon, the Honda LPGA Thailand and the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix to name a few. It would have been very understandable indeed if there was no running of the 2020 TBRDM.  But the "almost" cancellation of the dream was breaking  Jaymie's heart as her social media post (2/23/2020)   clearly showed.                  

Instagam post from the @thebullrunner

First Balfour 2020 Dreamers with the Bull Runner in the middle. 

The inner bull in her awakened and with prudent advice from the experts, she bravely made the decision to push ahead with the 2020 TBRDM.  There was no giving up on the dreams of hundreds of dreamers.

Much respect to Jaymie and her team for being undaunted. Appreciation to First Balfour for being true to its core values.    Maraming salamat. Dios mabalos.












Photo credits: TBRDream,  Starting Line PH , Pinoy Fitness, Run Snap    Ramon Rivera III Photography