As usual, am late with my article (x_x) But heck, I'll still post it so let's keep it short and sweet (I'll try no promises) As you may or may not know, last year's vaunted Conquer Corregidor 10-miler race is back with a vengeance. But race director Edward Kho would be doing everybody a disservice if he came up with the exact same thing right? So this year, he made the course even harder, extended it a couple of kilometers, put in some cool events before and after, and voila - you have this year's Corregidor International Half Marathon.
Coolness.
The salient points of the race were explained during the fancy presser amidst a cruise around Manila Bay with the usual suspects in attendance. There was even a Bearwin sighting, good job in dropping something like 20 pounds. As the world-class sunset that practically no one ever gets to see came to the fore, I just realized that's it's been a year already since we did the inaugural test run as the race was still under conceptualization. Sigh. Time flies by so fast.
Beautiful.
You see, this isn't just some random race presser for me. This is special. My Garmin helped measure the distance on that original route. I even gave out TBR magazines to the people during the cruise going to the island (yeah Jaymie, I really did. Like some flight attendant dude. I was half waiting for someone to ask for more coffee or to fluff their pillow)
Been a year already?
Point is, in one way or another I somehow feel a close affinity to this race, and I can't help but revel in how it has come back, at on paper, better than ever. Some straight talk - this isn't an easy course by any means. "Hard" may be an understatement as inclines reach a 60 degree gradient, which renders St. Martin Ortigas much akin to the kiddie pool. If you're looking to set a PR with this race, better immerse yourself in the free training programs that Ed Kho would be giving away as a value added service. This course ain't for the faint of heart, but it's the perfect avenue for budding intermediate level runners to test themselves. The dramatic backdrops are but mere gravy.
Intense.
Learn to endure.
Rather than spoil the fun by giving you a history lesson, I'll tell you what to expect on December 19. First off, it's a bit on the pricey side. P2,500. Now that we got that out of the way, why in the bejesus are they charging you P2,500?
It includes your round-trip transpo. Just like last year, you can opt to do overnight or a day trip. For overnighters, you can do tours, ziplines, and there would be a nice carbo-loading party by a bonfire. For those who will make sulit the vacation by staying another night, you'll be rewarded with a victory party with top bands performing. Niiiice.
What fun.
It gives out a medallion. Not a medal. You heard that right. A medallion. Not your run of the mill tanso medal, but the real deal. Thick. Heavy. Eye candy. Can you pawn it? Shame on you.
Yum.
Even if you suck out, you still get something. No cutoff times, but there's a "curfew time" at the halfway mark of 1:45. Come on, a 1:45 10k? Of course you can do that. Best part is, even if you DNF, you'll still get a 10k "achievement medal". Because quite frankly, even just a 10k on that course is an achievement already.
Dri-fit Shirts. Who doesn't love drifit shirts? They're cool. They're comfy. You'll wear them during the race. And on the way home. And after your training run with your buds. And to the mall. And to the... you get the picture.
I like.RFID Timing Chip. Better than the "hula hula" barcode system. You and your buds won't have to debate about "ah kasi kaya ka lang naka PR kasi sobra ng 200 meters ung course, teka icalculate ko muna" Happens more often than you think.
Athletes Backpack. The only bag you'll be allowed to check in, lots of pockets and partitions custom made for runners. You even get to display a replica of your bib number for extra pogi points. Feeling Olympic athlete, kahit for a weekend lang diba.
Why didn't they give me this last year !
Personalized Race Certificate with Name and Time. Name me the last race that gave you a personalized finisher's cert. Yeah, thought so too. Your office mates will finally believe that you're a runner, hooray.
I can harp on and on about it, and you can whine and whine about how expensive it is, but the fact of the matter is, given the setting, difficulty level, an d vacation potential/Facebook bragging rights all rolled into one, it's a terrific buy. Slots are very limited, and last year there was a mad dash for race kits towards the end. I highly suggest you register as early as possible.
Here's the part where I shamelessly copy paste the registration procedure. Check it out.
Registration Venue and Period:all weekends (Saturday and Sunday only) of October and November, subject to slot availabilityRUNNR ( Boni High Street ) Saturday and Sunday, 2pm to 9pm
Second Wind (Maginhawa) Saturday only, 1pm to 6pm
Second Wind (Ortigas Home Depo) Saturday only, 1pm to 6pm
on-line registration facility (for participants residing abroad and outside Metro Manila) will be up on October 9, 2010Registration fee: P2,500.00 - until October (early registration)
P3,000.00 - until November (late registration)Race Registration inclusions:Roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor
Full lunch buffet on race day
Race bib w/ RFID timing chip
Race shirt
Race backpack
Finisher's Medallion (or a 10k Achiever Medal)
Runners' Briefing (Dec 4 and 11) at ROX
Carbo-loading Bonfire Party (Dec 18, Saturday night)Victory Party with two top performing bands (Dec 19, Sunday night)Personalized Finishers' Certificate (complete with name and finish time)
Race Registration Procedures:
1) After completing registration for the race (manual or on-line), beginningthe following Monday, contact Sun Cruises at 8346857/8346858/5275555 loc 4511 0r 4512.
2) Indicate the desired trip schedule:
a) Overnight – departure on Dec 18 @ 8:30am (return trip to Manila ison Dec 19 via 2:30pm trip from Corregidor*)
b) Day trip – departure on Dec 19 @ 5:30am (return trip to Manila is Dec19 via 5:30pm trip from Corregidor*)
c) Participants with non-competing companions (non-competingcompanions will have to pay Php2,000.00/person; no race packwill be provided to them) will have to take the Dec 18, 11:30am tripto Corregidor (return trip to Manila is on Dec 20, Monday, via 10:00amtrip from Corregidor.
* for “a)” and “b)” indicate if attending the Solidarity & Victory Party on the night of December 19 to amend departure schedule to Monday, Dec 20 via 10:00am trip from Corregidor.
3) If applicable, make accommodations reservation with Sun Cruises (onlyregistered participants will be given reservations). Pay the appropriateaccommodations booking amount through the payment mode advised bySun Cruises.
4) On Dec 4 or 11 (as advised through email and text by the organizers) atROX, attend the Runners’ Briefing, pick-up the race pack, and claim theBoarding Pass and/or Accommodations Booking ticket from Sun Cruises.Ensure to bring the Acknowledgement Receipt issued duringregistration. No Acknowledgement Receipt, No Race Pack.
Race Registration Requirements:1) Properly filled out registration form (may be downloaded by Friday / available at the registration site)
2) Any valid ID (driver's licence, SSS ID, voter's ID, postal ID, passport, etc.) indicating date of birth
3) Proof of participation in a 10k race (during the last 2 months prior to registration) or 21k race (during the last 3 months prior to registration), or a full marathon (during the last 6 months prior to registration) or a doctor's certification of fitness to participate in an athletic event. For proof of race participation, a printout of the particular race result is preferable. In lieu of that, race bib will be accepted but will be subject to verification through the race results available on-line.
4) Applicable registration fee.Before we go, I'll leave you with some video snippets of what's in store for you.
Honor our heroes. Settle the score.
See you in Corregidor.
(hey it even rhymes)