LXXI agatur C. 71 going on 100.
The 2025 edition of the The Bull Runner Dream Marathon (TBRDM) produced 6 newly-minted marathoners for First Balfour. This brings to 71 the total number of First Balfour employees who have crossed their first full mary finish line at the TBDR. A couple more editions of the TBRDM and that number will be 100. Claim it, they say. Guided by the Lopez core values , our company has encouraged and enabled its numerous employees to take up an active exercise lifestyle in the pursuit of employee welfare and wellness. What is a more egalitarian way to pursue wellness than to take up the sports of running.
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| The Bull Runner herself, Jaymie Pizzaro (in black shirt) with race crew and volunteers. |
The longer the running the better. The more fun the better. That is where the TBRDM creation of Jaymie Pizzaro and her team comes in. It is the world's best marathon for first timers. Every year, it is capturing more and more the attention and imagination of the Philippine public, and perhaps the world.
For the year 2025, the first time marathoners of First Balfour who successfully crossed the finish line of the TBRDM last Feb 16 are:
1. Lucas Blanco (Bib# 0282)
2. Ted Quinzon (Bib# 1649)
3. Jaryl Cruz (Bib# 0543)
4. Jhem Odon (Bib# 1473)
5. CJ Ortego (Bib# 1506)
6. Lyn Almario (Bib# 0077)
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| The First Balfour 2025 Dreamers Ted, CJ, Jaryl, Lyn and Jhem with the Bicolano Penguin after finishing the 42km marathon. |
Marathon running, a challenging yet most rewarding pursuit, often generates insigthful musings about any topic under the sun. In the aftermath of their success, the new FB marathoners were asked a couple of questions. Here are their answers:
1. Why is it important for you to conquer a marathon?
Lucas: Personally, sense of accomplishment for pushing my limits, a process of self-discovery if you will. It's also a testament to the commitment and determination I made to overcome the challenge of completing a Marathon. Mentally, I found it has made me tougher and physically it has motivated to maintain my overall fitness. I find it also inspires others to pursue similar goals.
Ted: Completing a full marathon is important to me for a few reasons. It represents a significant personal challenge, pushing my physical and mental limits. Achieving this goal would give me a sense of accomplishment and boost my self-confidence. Additionally, the training and discipline required for a marathon can translate to other areas of my life. And finally, it is one item on my bucket list. Reflecting on my past, I recall attempting to join a full marathon over a decade ago. I successfully registered and began training, participating in several 5k and 10k fun runs while diligently following the training plan. As the weeks progressed, the training demands intensified. Unfortunately, I was assigned to a project outside of Metro Manila. At that time, running was not as popular as it is today, and I found myself training alone. Regrettably, before I could complete the full training plan, I sustained an injury that prevented me from participating in the race.
Jaryl: The most difficult part of running a marathon wasn’t completing those 42.2 kilometers within the 8-hour cutoff. It was showing up at ungodly hours to run long distances before breakfast, reminding myself why I started when I felt at my lowest, taking control with every step and proving that I was stronger than my excuses. "Let’s just get this over with" became a mantra before each run. But at the end of the day, relishing that runner’s high, I always found myself saying, "I’m glad I showed up today." Not once during the race did I regret signing up. Beyond the pain, I found strength in the countless times I chose to show up despite the struggle. In the end, I celebrated not only completing the marathon but also discovering that I was capable of enduring and conquering challenges far beyond the race itself.
Jhem: For me, running my first marathon was all about pushing myself and getting out of my comfort zone. When my body was ready to quit, my mind had already decided - I was finishing that race no matter what. It didn't matter how much it hurt because I had committed to it. That moment showed me just howpowerful mindset can be. If I could push through that, what else could I achieve?
CJ: Finishing my first full marathon was important because it proved that with determination and effort, any challenging goal is achievable. The months of training taught me discipline, patience, and, most importantly, self-belief. Crossing the finish line was an incredibly rewarding moment, showing that persistence truly pays off. Beyond the physical challenge, it was a mental test that required resilience to push through to the end. Ultimately, running a marathon is about refusing to quit, no matter how tough it gets, and to just keep moving forward until you reach your goal.
Lyn: You know, I never ever thought I would even dare to dream about running a marathon, but I'm so glad I did it at a time when I'm already with First Balfour! There are several reasons why I want to do it, but the main reason is to prove to myself that I can summon the willpower to not quit. You were by my side the whole time - you know how hot it was the last 3hours. Sun is my green kryptonite. I never stay long under any blistering sun. But never once did I think of quitting, and for that, I am proudest of myself. Even when I knew I was a few minutes off the cutoff, I never thought to give up. I prayed to finish the race without any injury and I'm so glad I did! I should have prayed to finish within the cutoff.
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| BP pacing Lyn and friend. |
2. Why is it important for First Balfour to encourage/sponsor its employees to go for their first marathon?
Lucas: It helps foster resilience and mental toughness, learning about their strengths and weaknesses. It also gives importance to setting ambitious goals, moving out of comfort zones to take on hard/difficult challenges. I found running events offer a community for likeminded people, bringing them together and helps create a supportive environment to connect and instill camaraderie. Added to that are the health benefits of training and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Ted: It is important for First Balfour to sponsor or encourage its employees to participate in their first full marathon because there are numerous benefits to both the employees and the company, which I would be pleased to elaborate on. First is by promoting a holistic development of employees. Engaging the employees in sports like running, encourages them to live a healthy lifestyle and to refrain them from sedentary habits. If the employee knows that the company supports their interest it will be a win-win situation. It's a win-win situation, the company will have healthy, happy employees knowing that their company supports their passion.
Jaryl: I am grateful to First Balfour, who, since 2010, has given employees a life-changing opportunity to achieve this feat. Signing up for The Bull Runner was more than just finishing a race—it was a chance to transform myself. I will definitely never forget my first, as TBR says, not only because I crossed the finish line, but because of the journey that led me there. First Balfour’s support goes beyond the race itself; it’s about fostering discipline, perseverance, and confidence. I hope more First Balfour dreamers seize this opportunity and discover just how far they can go.
Jhem: Honestly, running has been such a game-changer for me. It's not just about the thrill of the race - it's about grit, discipline, and proving to yourself that you can do hard things. Before First Balfour, I wasn't really into sports, but now, running has become a passion. And it's even better being part of a community that lifts each other up. Encouraging employees to take on this challenge isn't just about fitness; it's about building confidence, resilience and a team that pushes each other to be better.
CJ: First of all, I am grateful to First Balfour for giving me this opportunity. I believe encouraging employees to run a full marathon benefits both them and the company as it promotes a healthy lifestyle, discipline, and resilience—qualities that should improve work performance. Training for a marathon also fosters determination and goal-setting, which are valuable in any environment. Supporting the employees in this journey shows that the company values their well-being and growth, as building and nurturing a strong and motivated team leads to better results for all.
Lyn: There's never a better time for me to do this because the support and inspiration from First Balfour is one of the things that kept me going. I told my husband - I CAN'T NOT finish, everyone in the office is rooting for me! So for that, a huge thank you to my First Balfour tribe. I know I'm repeating myself, but I couldn't have done it without you! On to the next!
There you have it. Reflections from our newly-minted marathoners. Dreams to Real talk.
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| It takes a village. The new FB marathoners with the support crew. Volunteers all from the office, family and friends. |
God bless the TBR Dream Marathon 2025 and all its participants.
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