ULTRARUN FOR ROGEL: An Interview with Rogel

Come this Saturday night, more than a hundred runners are expected to troop to Sta. Rosa City for a rare kind of ultra marathon in the Philippines.  For one, it will be an ultra marathon where the venue is not the mountain trails or some provincial road but inside a suburban subdivision where the participants will be running fat-ass crazy around a 2 and a half km loop.  Rare that it is not a solo event but a team event whose members (whether it be 2,  3, 4 or 5) will have to run a total of 80 kms within an 8-hour time period. Rarer still is the fact that this ultra event will be a fund-raising activity in support of a fellow ultra marathoner. 

Joel Sabile

The UltraRun for Rogel is  conceived and put into fruition by Joel Sabile of the Bandana Runners in cooperation with Prince Multisport Events, Run Mania Philippines Promotions and Pinoy Aspiring Runners. The aim is to raise cash that will be given as assistance to a young and promising runner - Rogel Arangorin Anajao.  Php 500 of the Php 2,000 registration fee will be alloted to the assistance fund.   

Rogel Anajao

Who is Rogel?  To find out, I got in touch with him, with the help of Joel,  thru facebook and ask several questions to better know his story.  

BP:  Saan at kailan ka ipinanganak?

Rogel:  San Juan, Zambales.  March 11, 1991

BP:  Saan ka na ngayon nakatira? 

Rogel:  Palauig, Zamables

BP:  Nag-aaral ka pa ba o nagtratrabaho na?

Rogel:  Nag-aaral pa po pero nahinto mula ng nadisgrasya ako.  Sa Ramon Magsaysay Technological University sa Iba, Zambales.  Kinukuha ko po ay BS in Information Technology.  4th year na po ako pero nahinto dahil sa aksidente.  

BP:  Meron ng sariling pamilya?

Rogel:  Wala pa po.  Fiancee palang po.

BP:  Kailan ka nag-umpisa na tumakbo?

Rogel:  Sampung taon gulang palang ako, nagsimula na ako tumakbo.  Nag-umpisa ako mag compete, 15 years old na. 

BP:  Ano ang pinamakabilis mong oras sa marathon?

Rogel:  2 hours & 57 mins.  Sa Subic International Marathon. 

BP:  Ano ang pinakamabilis mong oras sa 50-km ultra marathon?

Rogel:   3 hrs and 55 mins.  Sa Tagaytay to Nasugbu Ultra Marathon. 

BP:  Ano na ang pinakamalayong distansiya na tinakbo mo ultra marathon?

Rogel:  80 kms.  Sa UP to UP Ultra Marathon.

BP:  Podium finisher ka sa 2014 UP to UP Ultra marathon? 

Rogel:  Opo.  Oras ko po ay 6 hours and 50 mins para sa 2014 UP to UP ultra marathon.  Defending champion po ako noong tumakbo ako para sa 2015 UP to UP ultra marathon.   

BP:  Kailan yung 2015 UP to UP ? Paki-kuwento nga anong nangyari sa yo noong araw na yun.

Rogel:  July 12, 2015.  Habang tumatakbo ako para sa second UP to UP , sa may C-5 Taguig Fly Over, humiwalay sa akin ang guide ko. Sa ibaba siya dumaan dahil di daw puwede ang gamit niyang sasakyan sa taas at hihintayin nalang daw niya ako sa dulo ng fly over.  Pagdating ko sa dulo wala ang guide ko. Matagal akong naghintay sa kanya pero hindi pa siya dumadating kaya nagdesisyun ako na ituloy ang race na wala akong guide kasi po ako yung leading sa race.  Habang tumatakbo ako sa kahabaan ng C-5, sa may parte na nakikita ko yung Heritage Park, diko namalayan na nabundol na pala ako at nang magising ako ay nasa hospital na ako at nilalapatan ng paunang lunas.  

BP:  Anong sasakyan nakabundol sa yo?  Meron bang binayad yung may-ari ng sasakyan?

Rogel:  Hindi ko na po nakita kung ano nakabundol sa akin. Wala na po nahanap na suspect.

BP:  Hit and run?

Rogel:  Yes sir.

BP:  Anong tulong ang binigay sa yo ng race organizer - Prince Baltazar Multisport Events?

Rogel:  Sa loob po ng limang araw ko na pamamalagi sa hospital diyan sa Maynila (Taguig Hospital at National Orthopedic), sila po yung sumagot sa mga gastusin at mga pangangailangan ko. 

Rogel with Prince in the hospital

BP:  Naka-ilang operasyun ka sa hospital?

Rogel:  Naka dalawang operasyun na ako.

BP:  Kamusta ang pag-gamot sa yo?

Rogel:  Sa ngayon po, unti unti na ako nakaka recover. Tuloy tuloy pa po check ups at mga gamot kaya lang mas madalas po na kinakapos sa pera na pangangailangan kaya hindi po nakukumpleto yung tamang araw na check up . Hindi rin po dere deretso pag inum ng gamot. 

BP:  Sa ngayon, saang ospital ka nagpapagamot?

Rogel:  Nasa bahay na po ako.  Napapacheck up ako sa President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital (PRMMH) sa Iba, Zambales.

BP:  Tatakbo ka pa ba?

Rogel:  Opo. Tatakbo pa ako.

BP:  Bakit gusto mo pang tumakbo?  What is running to you?

Rogel:    Ito po kasi yung passion ko mula nung nadiskubre ko na may talento ako sa larangan ng pagtakbo.  Para sa akin, running is good sport.  Running is talent.  Running is my passion and running is my life. 

The last sentence has a deep resonance in many of us runners.  Rogel, at a young age, is showing that he has courage.  We wish him well in his healing and recovery.  We wish him well in pursuit to come back to running.  

Running is his life.  By refusing to abandon running he is showing that his life will move forward despite the injustice and misfortune dealt on him. 

We are thankful and inspired by the initiative of Joel Sabile to organize this fund raising event for Rogel. Both Rogel and Joel are complete strangers to each other and they will only be meeting each other in person for the first time this Saturday at the event itself.  The only thing they have in common right now is that both of them are passionate ultra marathoners.  Both have finished the 80-km UP to UP Ultra. 

Now for us fellow passionate ultra marathoners, the least we could do is to be there at the starting line of the UltraRun for Rogel. We will run and we will help. I know many  will.             

        

   

According to the organizer, there are already 114 runners (comprising 38 teams.). Many have indeed decided to be counted.