The resonant boom from giant firecrackers followed by a 15-minute fireworks show at 5:30 am broke the silence of Dumaguete City’s Rizal Boulevard on Nov. 22 to send some 3,500 competitive and fun runners on their feet for the first-ever Dumaguete Adventure Marathon which organizers and participants hailed as a successful event.

Competitive runners for the 28.3- kilometer adventure marathon came from all over the country to include Bacolod, Cebu, Dipolog, Iloilo, Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Mandaue, Butuan, San Juan, :au-Lapu, San Carlos, Parañaque, Cavite, Bago, Talisay, Toledo, Dapitan and Pasig.

“This race was different from the other marathons in the country”, said Dr. Aparicio Mequi, director of the FU Institute for Youth Sports & Peace (IYSPeace), which spearheaded the event. Unlike marathons that are run on flat urban roads, the participants of the adventure marathon saw scenic spots from Dumaguete’s Rizal Boulevard to the elevated barangay Calabnugan in Sibulan town and the barangays Balili and Palinpinon in Valencia town before heading back to Dumaguete ending at the Sidlakang Negros Village. “Marathoners have become tired of running on flat surfaces. We’re now giving them a different kind of marathon,” Mequi said.

Aside from the competitive 28.3 and 10 km category, there also was the five and three-kilometer fun run, which saw mostly students from Foundation University, accompanied by their teachers and administrators. Jason Agravado, 21, of Silay City, completed the 28- kilometer adventure course in 1:38 minutes to win the race. Accompanied by a motorcycling-riding escort, Agravado arrived at the finish line way ahead of the other competitors. “ Running an adventure marathon is good- we can say many things,” he said. A runner for the last four years, Agravado is looking forward to his next Dumaguete Adventure Marathon next year.

Wilbert Laurencio, 24, of Dumaguete City, finished second, clocking what he described as an exciting race in 1:53. “ It’s a different challenge,” Laurencio said, “ the heart seems to compress while the thigh muscled ache like never before.” Laurencio had been joining several marathons throughout the country. Edward Villareal, 25, of Dumaguete City placed third. “It’s different- you exert double the effort in the uphill portion, but I had fun- it was an adventure!”

The race also attracted first time visitors to Dumaguete City from Manila and other parts of the country. For Ofie Templo and Rose Pizzaro, of the Executive Runners’ Club of the Philippines ( Runnex), the race was also a good time to see Dumaguete, where Templo’s grandfather is from. “The route is OK. I like it because I saw a lot of things,” Templo, who joined the 10k run, said. Runnex also donated 60 shirts as well as numbers for the runners. “We’re here to support the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon because Dr. Mequi has been our inspiration for our own running group,” Templo said.

Another participant was Arnald Pellini, an Italian researcher. “ It was a very good race, although it was quite hard from kilometer 12 to 15. It was steep that an ambulance even could not make it up.” Pellini said the temptation to stop came after the 26^th kilometer. “I hit the wall but I had to continue,” he said. Having lived in Dumaguete for the last six months, he said the Adventure Marathon was a good way of exploring the countryside. “It’s nice to see the hills and forest. Now I have more places to go whenever I run or ride my bicycle.”

Runners from the Triathletes Association from the Island of Negros (TRAIL) also came as a group.  Manuel Trabasas of Bacolod said the race was challenging, especially during the uphill climb. Dr. Paul Mendez lauded the marathon organizers for a well-organized event. “ Generally, it was OK,” Mendez said after crossing the finish line escorted by his two sons Joshua Paul and Jason Paul, who suffered who offered him flowers for finishing, the 28-kilometer race. Jovie Tuazon of the Negros Mountaineering Club said the organizers should be commend for the successful event. “Sightseeing, adventure. Walang patawad sa uphill!” he laughed.

Another NMC teammate, Ronnie Calansigan, however ended up at the Foundation University North Campus instead of the Sidlakang Negros finish line after he failed to make an important left turn. “ No problem,” he said, “ but its painful to run in the mountain- it’s different from the pace of normal running on the paved roads.” True to Foundation University’s advocacy for rice conservation in partnership with the Philippine Rice Research Institute, the prizes for the marathon were sacks of rice, which were convertible to cash.

Engr. Deo Salem, president of the Metro Dumaguete Roadrunners’ Club, said the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon was a good eye opener for Negros Oriental’s sports organizers. “We have a gift in the person of Dr. Mequi,” Salem said explaining the success of the event. The marathon also saw the cooperation of the city of Dumaguete, the province of Negros Oriental, the city of Bayawan, the municipality of Valencia, the municipality of Sibulan, the One-Rescue Foundation, the Rotary Club of Dumaguete East, the Metro Dumaguete Roadrunner’s club, Lee Super Plaza, Breadcamp, Nature’s Spring, Vibal Publishing Inc., Gatorade, and Pepsi.