Monday, September 30, 2013

News: Corregidor Half Marathon and Full Marathon


Official Press Release:


RUN BACK IN TIME AT THE 2013 CORREGIDOR MARATHON

The philosopher George Santayana once stated, “Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it.” But if history is comprised of all your winning and most memorable moments, you will most likely come back for it.

On December 7 and 8, 2013, the running community will once again converge in Corregidor Island to participate in 2 events: The 1st Corregidor Marathon (CM) on the first day and the 4th Corregidor International Half Marathon (CIHM) on the second.

The 1st CM will usher in a new level of challenge in the running scene. With a total distance of 42.195km, the event is designed to be the common ground of marathoners, ultra-runners and triathletes.

Participation in the 1st CM will be reserved for 88 seasoned marathoners only, with a set qualifying time. Because the half-marathon course of Corregidor could be viewed from the top as forming an “8”-shaped loop, runners must race through the course twice to complete the race, hence a “double 8.”

The race is an open competition. All participants upon crossing the finish line will receive a Finisher’s Medallion and a rank-indicated Finisher’s Trophy. There will be one male and one female overall winner whose title will be Corregidor Marathon Man and Woman, respectively. Each winner will receive a Php30, 000.00 cash prize and a champion’s trophy. Age bracket top finishers will also be declared and will be awarded with a certificate of achievement.

In addition to the full marathon distance, CM will have shorter distance categories: the 5K Blitz and the 3K Thrill. Each of these distances shall have 150 slots. These shorter distances will cater to those who are just getting started with the sport of running and who would like to experience running in the island. There will be no qualifying times required for the participants of these sub-categories nor will there be a sweep time or cut-off time.

Meanwhile, close to 1,000 participants and visitors are expected to turn up for the 4th installment of CIHM. Runners from different backgrounds – from intermediate recreational to hardcore runners, will take a shot at dethroning the reigning King and Queen of the Rock. The 4th CIHM is designed to thrill, surprise and challenge runners, from different parts of the country and from around the world, by testing their mettle on all types of running terrain.

The race route, covering a total of 21.0975km, will encompass a combination of paved uphills and down slopes and intermittent segments of dirt trails. But what would differentiate CIHM from the usual running experience of avid runners is that it will take the race participants to key historical hotspots on the remarkable isle. Right at the start of the race, the runners will experience an adrenaline rush as they race past the full length of the Malinta Tunnel. The exhilaration will continue to unfold as the runners exit the tunnel’s east access en route to the interior of the atoll. The thrilling highlight of the race surges as the runners negotiate the tricky span of a thickly foliaged trail draped in rays of sunlight, culminating in a run along the rocky cliff of the island with a breathtaking view of Manila Bay, to dramatically finish at the south dock breakwater facing the vast West Philippine Sea.

The 4th CIHM will be an extraordinary opportunity for passionate runners to set a new norm for personal achievement as finishing the race will be akin to recapitulating a fortress that is home to the resilient and valiant. There are 300 slots to be opened for the 21K distance. A qualifying time of 2h30min for male runners, and 3h00min for female participants will be adopted for this category. First time 21K runners must have run a 10K race within 1h15m (male) or 1h30min (female). However, for CIHM alumni 100 slots will be allotted as wildcard entries waiving the qualifying time requirement.

Aside from centerpiece 21km event, there will be a 10k Challenge for running aficionados who are yet to be familiar with the challenging terrain of Corregidor but yearn to discover and experience its distinctive scenic course. There will be no qualifying time to join this race category. Likewise, no sweep time will be observed. The top male and female runners in this event will be awarded with a certificate of achievement and winner’s plaque. All finishers in this race category will be awarded with a 10km Achiever Medal. Only 200 slots will be opened for this side event.

Registration for the 1st CM is ongoing and, for the 4th CIHM, registration will begin on October 1, 2013.

The 1st Corregidor Marathon and the 4th Corregidor International Half Marathon are managed by Big, Big, Big, Inc. and presented by Smart Communications, Sun Cruises, Soleus together with event partners Corregidor Foundation, Galileia Events Place, 100 Miles CafĂ©, L Time Studio, Runningmate, One Sceniques, Active Link, Toby’s, Runnr, media partners The Philippine Star, Pinoy Fitness, Mellow 94.7 FM, Takbo.ph, Inquirer Libre, Solar News and medical aid partner UERM Medical Center.

For inquiries and updates on the two races, interested runners can like the separate Facebook fan pages or shoot an email to corregidormarathon@bigbigbig.com.ph or corregidor21@bigbigbig.com.ph. Runners can also contact (02) 403-0246 or 09228115438. 


10k finisher medal
3k, 5k and 42k finisher medals
 
21k finisher medal





 


official shirt
 
sling bag

back pack for 42k participants

FAQ:



Q:        How much are the race registrations for the CM and CIHM?
A:        For Corregidor Marathon the race registration fee is Php6,000; the sub-events 5K Blitz and 3K Thrill have the same race participation fee: Php2,500.
For the Corregidor International Half-Marathon, the race participation fee is Php3,000; for the sub-event 10K Challenge, Php2,700.

Q:        Are these race registration fees too expensive for a race in the Philippines?
A:        On face value, the stated race registrations fees maybe the highest to date locally. However, relative to the ever increasing registration fees of races in Metro Manila, the participation fees in both the CM and CIHM are actually very reasonable and in fact underscores a great value for money, and almost a steal. Sun Cruise’s regular rate per person for a daytrip to Corregidor that includes round-trip ferry, a group-guided tour of the island, and a lunch buffet is Php2,300.00. Marathon distance participants of the CM are entitled to a round-trip ferry, a pre-race Carbo Dinner buffet, a post-race Lunch buffet, a customized race shirt, a race backpack, an RFID timing chip, a quarter-pounder Finisher’s Medallion, and a rank-indicated Finisher’s Trophy. The CM’s 5K Blitz and 3K Thrill categories entitle participants to a round-trip ferry, race shirt, sling bag, race bib and RFID timing chip, post-race Lunch buffet, and a Finisher’s Medal.
The CIHM package, excluding the guided tour, offers all participants round-trip ferry, a full lunch buffet on race day, a genuine dry-fit race shirt, race sling bag, race bib with an RFID timing chip, a classic Finishers’ Medallion, and a ticket to a mercury-rising after-race bash that is the CIHM Victory Party.
As a bonus, all CM and CIHM race participants get a Php1,000.00 SOLEUS Gift Voucher.

Q:        Are the registration fees refundable or transferable?
A:        The registration fee is non-refundable. It is also non-transferable.

Q:        Is change of race category possible?
A:        Yes. Race participants who want to change their initially registered race category to a different category should contact the organizers not later than November 22 for assistance. Beyond this date, request for such will not be accommodated.

Q:        Does the registration fee cover accommodations in the island?
A:        No. Accommodations, however, range only from P2000 (twin sharing, P750 for add’l person) to P3500 (Resort cabana w/ aircon) per night per room. A standard room could accommodate three persons comfortably. It may be arranged through Sun Cruises at these numbers: +632-5275555 loc 4511 and 4512, (+63)917-5459917, (+63)917-8084641, (+63)922-8475418  (Mon to Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 8am-12nn).

Q:        Is there any other option for accommodation if I were to go overnight?
A:        Yes. CM or CIHM participants may opt to camp out with their own tent. There is a P250 fee per camper to be charged by Sun Cruises on site. The camp site is at the parade grounds adjacent to the South Dock and facing the beach. Those who will camp out need not worry about their lavatory needs. Though spartan in nature, there are more than ample clean washroom and restroom cubicles that are very proximate to the tent grounds. 

Q:        Still concerning those going overnight, where could they avail of their meals ?
A:        Sun Cruises operates Corregidor Inn where both CM and CIHM participants may dine out in a welcoming restaurant. Alternatively, there are several kiosks in the island such as that in McCarthur’s Inn where participants may check out other meal options.

Q:        Will race participants camping out be allowed to bring camping stoves?
A:        Mini camping stove or similar devices that will produce a relatively minimal combustion may be allowed to be brought in by participants who will camp out.

Q:        Are bikes allowed to be brought along?
A:        Owing to space limitations in and weight restrictions of the ferries, CM and CIHM participants are disallowed to bring along their bicycles.

Q:        Will Corregidor be open to regular tourists on the day of the race?
A:        Yes. But only once the race has started. Expectedly, all regular tourist will arrive at the island towards the latter part of the conduct of the race. This means that CM and CIHM racers could totally enjoy a traffic-less and urban-nuisance-free race amidst a dramatic backdrop, and that is only in Corregidor. However, all Sun Cruises-operated accommodations are exclusively dedicated to CM and CIHM participants.

Q:        Where can foreign nationals, residing outside the Philippines, intending to join CM or CIHM get information on Philippine visa requirements?
A:        They may check out the tab “Philippine Visa Information for Foreign Participants” in the CIHM website www.corregidor21.runningmate.ph or other veritable websites on the net.

Q:        Can registered participants have their own pacers?
A:        Yes but only if the pacer is also a registered CM or CIHM participant. The race will strictly adhere to the “No Bib, No Race” policy.

Q:        Will there be a sweep time for any of the race participants in the CM or CIHM?
A:        None. CM or CIHM participants need not worry about being swept off the race course after a particular time. All participants who will successfully finish the 21k and 10k distances, respectively, will be awarded with the CIHM Finishers’ Medallion and 10K Achiever Medal, correspondingly. Same applies to the CM participants

Q:        How many hydration stations will there be on the race course?
A:        There will be 8 hydration stations, including one at the finish area, at 2km interval from each other in the entire race course. Other than hydration, embedded in select stations are race nutrition aid outlets.

Q:        Will there be first aid stations along the race course?
A:        Yes. First aid, actually, will be integrated also with the hydration stations. Aside from this, a mobile paramedic team will also be in place. And finally, the command center of the race medical aid team is situated at the Finish Line activity area.

Q:        What is the unique selling point of  both Corregidor Marathon and Corregidor International Half-Marathon?
A:        It is the idea that all CM and CIHM participants will have the rare opportunity to run on sacred grounds and all their determined efforts will be cheered on by the glorious memory of heroism of our noble predecessors. Then there’s the bonus of an after-race Victory Party where participants could revel to celebrate their achievement.

Registration Details:
 

Half-Marathon

Race Registration Fee:
·        P3,000.00

Race Registration inclusions:
  • Roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor
  • Full lunch buffet on race day
  • Race bib w/ RFID timing chip
  • CIHM Dri-fit Race Shirt
  • CIHM Race sling bag
  • CIHM Finisher's Medallion
  • Runners' Briefing (Nov 30 and Dec 1)
  • CIHM Post-Race Victory Party
  • CIHM Digital Finisher's Certificate
  • P1,000 SOLEUS Gift Voucher
*For race participants attending the Carbo-loading Dinner (Dec 7), Carbo Dinner ticket may be availed at P250.00 on Nov 30 & Dec 1 during the Runners’ Briefing.



10K Challenge

Race Registration Fee:
·        P2,700.00

Race Registration inclusions:
  • Roundtrip ferry to and from Corregidor
  • Full lunch buffet on race day
  • Race bib w/ RFID timing chip

  • CIHM Dri-fit Race Shirt
  • CIHM Race sling bag
  • 10k Achiever Medal
  • Runners' Briefing (Nov 30 and Dec 1)
  • CIHM Post-Race Victory Party
  • 10K Challenge Digital Finisher's Certificate
  • P1,000 SOLEUS Gift Voucher
*For race participants attending the Carbo-loading Dinner (Dec 7), Carbo Dinner ticket may be availed at P250.00 on Nov 30 & Dec 1 during the Runners’ Briefing.


Registration, Ferry and Room Reservations Procedures:

1) Send a direct message to our FB fan page "Corregidor International Half-Marathon" indicating your full name, best 21K race finish time conforming to the qualifying times: 2h30mins (Male) and 3h00min (Female) during the last 12 months, name and year of race. For those who have yet to run a 21Km race, a 10K race time of at least: 1h15 (Male) or 1h30 (Female) must be provided. First 100 CIHM alumni are exempted from the qualifying time.

2) Pay the corresponding race registration fee by way of a bank deposit at any BDO branch using the following details:
BDO Checking Account
Account Name: Big Big Big, Inc.
Account Number: 000410417114
*For international participants, as follows are the details when depositing corresponding race registration fee through bank transfer:

BDO (Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc.)
Branch details: 041 Bel-Air

Swift Code: BNORPHMM
Acct details: Checking Account
Account Name: Big Big Big, Inc.
Account Number: 000410417114 

3) Visit and “Like” the Facebook fan page “Corregidor International Half-Marathon”. Submit a photofile or scanned copy of the deposit slip (with your full name written on it) to the Fan Page by way of a direct message. Wait for an alpha-numeric code reply to your message. This code CAN NOT be shared with another person.

4) Log on to www.corregidor21.runningmate.ph to complete registration for the race. In order to validate the race registration transaction, you must provide the assigned alpha-numeric code on the space provided in the on-line registration form.

5) Once race registration is validated, you will receive in 48 hours your race inclusion confirmation via email. After receiving your confirmation, immediately contact Sun Cruises (8am to 5pm – Mon to Fri; 8am to 12nn Sat) at 5275555 loc 4511 and 4512, 0917-5459917, 0917-8084641, 0922-8475418 to book for ferry trip schedules.
Indicate the desired trip schedule:
From Manila to Corregidor
a) Overnight – departure on Dec 07 @ 1:00pm
b) Day trip – departure on Dec 08 @ 5:00am
Return from Corregidor to Manila
a) departure on Dec 08 @ 2:30pm (priority for Overnight CM & CIHM participants)
b) departure on Dec 08 @ 6:00pm (priority for Day trip CIHM participants)
Your desired schedule is subject to first-come, first-served basis.
* For those travelling with noncompeting companions, you may avail of Sun CruisesĘĽ regular tour package at P2,300/person. Please contact Sun Cruises if availing of this.

6) If applicable, make accommodations reservation with Sun Cruises (only registered participants will be given reservations; maximum of 1 room per participant only). Pay the appropriate accommodations booking amount through the payment mode advised by Sun Cruises.

7) On Nov 30 & Dec 1 (as advised through email by Team Corregidor) at  
Galileia Events Place in 100 Miles CafĂ©, Fort Strip, BGC attend the Runners’ Briefing, pick-up the race pack, and claim the Boarding Pass and/or Accommodations Booking ticket from Sun Cruises.  Anyone may pick up your kit at Runners’ Briefing from 1pm to 8pm. They may be asked for identification and your signed authorization note.

 


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Race Recap: Caliraya 360 34km (September 15, 2013)

Caliraya 360 run course map





Before anything else, I would like to mention that this race was a race I had no plans of joining.  For one thing, nobody wanted to do it with me, so it was that harder to go to an out of town race by myself.  Then, the race organizers offered shuttle buses to the starting line, which was an awesome idea but once I found out that the only venue for the ride was at La Salle Taft, I thought, "Nah!", and forgot about this race.  The race itself wasn't that enticing as I knew how hilly (read: super hard) it can be as I did part of the route with Alvin when we ran the Laguna to Quezon (L2Q) 50km last June 16th.  At that time, we did it because it was my birthday run (I mean what are the odds you can run an Ultra Marathon on your actual birthday? Quite low I am guessing!).  Now, there was no occasion whatsoever to do this race!

And yet here I am right now, sitting in front of my computer and writing on my blog with blog post:  Race Recap - Caliraya 360 34km!

So what changed? 

Well, it is made up of one acronym word and four letters:  RUPM!  Because of this marathon that I am signed up for, I needed to do one big long run a few weeks before this race to make my legs as ready as possible.  With no other half marathon races during this time and being lazy to do a long run by myself, I went to Mizuno BGC to register myself for the 34km event.

Initially, the cut-off time was at 5 hours 45 minutes for the 34km event but upon double-checking with the race organizers, they extended the cut-off time to 7 hours.  Pretty long cut-off so I figured that either way, this was a race I should be able to finish, God willing of course.

I was debating whether or not I should avail of the shuttle services and it took me two days to finally decide that I am going to drive on my own to Lumban, Laguna for the race start. 

RACE DAY!

I woke up at midnight Sunday am to prepare my gear and eat a little.  I only had two hours sleep then so I was groggy.  And I had to drive two hours to the starting line!  This wasn't turning out to be such a good idea anymore but there was no way I was going to back out from this!

Luckily, it was easy to get to the race site as all I had to do was follow the National Highway until I reach Lumban (after passing the towns of Sta. Cruz and Pagsanjan - ahhh, L2Q memories!).  I got lost a little but it was in Lumban already and I still had an hour to kill so I wasn't worried.  I found the place care of help from some of the Barangay Tanods who directed me to the correct path and I got a good parking spot right across the Plaza, which was where the starting line was. 

I ate two bananas, drank some Gatorade, fixed my gear (Garmin, headlamp) and took 15 minute nap before using the rest room. 

rest rooms were at the left side of this gym


onsite registration for all race categories




I had three goals for this race categorized as: good enough, better, and best.  For good enough it was just to finish the race within the cut-off time of 7 hours.  Better was finishing race at its original cut-off time of 5 hours 45 minutes (10 minute average pace).  Best was beating my RU2 32km pace of 9:30 by finishing race below 5 hours 23 minutes.  But at the back of my mind, I also had an "impossible-but-might-as-well-put-it-there goal of 5 hours, which requires me running an average pace of 8 minutes 47 seconds, on an uphill course!  Hence the "impossible" goal!

The gun start was supposed to be at 4:15am, but due to some problems, we ended up starting the race at 4:30am.  I started at the middle pack and runners at the back slowly all overtook me!  My legs were tight and I regretted not getting a good massage before the race.  Boo!


Starting Line

At 1km, I was already walking!  That was disappointing but I hoped that my legs would loosen later on.  More runners overtook me but I was fine with it.  This wasn't a 10-km race after all. 

1km down, 33km more to go!     

My commitment to myself was that I would pray to God one Our Father, One Glory Be..., and One Hail Mary at least once every kilometer.  This would give me inner strength and it has benefited me recently (I first did it in T2K 50km and I finished strong).  For a runner, it also serves as a gauge if I am running too fast or not (if I had a hard time saying any of the above prayers, then I am going too fast)!  There were times I would pray a lot.  For a Christian, it also reaffirmed my faith in Him and served as my quiet time with God as I would pray about other things as well.  I felt God giving me strength, the Holy Spirit guiding my paths and keeping me strong and it also made my attitude of these long races more uplifting.  I felt blessed that I was given a chance to run this race and looked forward to when my Garmin watch beeped that I had finish another kilometer, because then that would be a sign that it was time for me to pray again.

Elevation map

As seen from the elevation map, it was a lot of uphill climbs for us.  I walked during these times but tried to practice walking fast.  Then, when I felt the road flattening or going down, I would start running again.  It was dark too with certain parts of the road having no street lamps!  Good thing, I had my head lamp with me and there were times that the race organizers would park cars in dark roads and turn on the car lights.

Hydration stations were on every 1.5km or 2km of the course but they were just iced water.  I packed three GU gels with me and hoped this was sufficient.  Unfortunately, between 12-15km, we ran out of water and I had to revert to collecting some ice cubes from the water containers and used that as my water instead.  I regretted not packing my water bottle with me (everyone had their own) and I felt bad that this would cause me to not run the race at the pace that I wanted.  I couldn't even eat my GU gel as there was nothing to wash it down with!  But I continued running and praying, knowing God is there by my side and won't let any harm to befall me.


yay for Gatorade!

And lo and behold, my prayers were answered in this water station as not only were there cold water again but also cold Gatorade.  I drank my fill of Gatorade (two cups full) and water (one cup full) before going off again.  I was filled with renewed energy.  The church was pretty awesome too (though no idea where I was now.. probably Cavinti town?).

More uphill climbs (this never seems to end!), more walking, and more water stations running out of water!!  Thank God weather was perfect with sun hidden from us and a little cold too.  Dark clouds made me go faster as I didn't want to be running when there was a big downpour of rain!  That served as my motivation to keep on going and not walk too much.

I was diligent in my prayers and made sure I didn't miss any of it in any of the kilometers I ran on (if I wasn't sure, I would just pray again as more is better than less!).

As in my T2K 50km race, I didn't look at my Garmin that much.  I wasn't focused on the pace or time but on the distance I had to complete.

I met a girl on 27km mark who asked me the distance and when I told her, she said we could go for 5 hours finish time if we pushed ourselves hard enough.  But then, she also said there was an extra kilometer here, which meant that in order to get this goal, my average pace had to be faster than 8:47 minutes/ km.  I looked at my Garmin and my average was slightly above 9 minute pace, which was pretty good but could I sustain this pace?  Even harder was the question, "Can I go faster?" 

I then vetoed my good, better and best goals and went all out for the "impossible-but-might-as-well-put-it-there" goal of 5 hours.  It would be more difficult given the additional kilometer but I set first at bringing pace down to 8:47.  If (and that is a big If) I brought down average pace to 8:47, then I would just be ecstatic, never mind the fact that I finish more than 5 hours because of the additional kilometer.  I would base it at exactly 34km!

Luckily, we started our descent and I used this chance to pour on the speed and ran all the downhill parts of the course.  I didn't look at my Garmin and I continued to pray diligently to God.  No way was I going to stop praying now!  My Garmin beeped at every kilometer and I saw my average pace go down slightly to below 9.  Then it was 8:56 and it was stuck there. 

At 30km, the road descents got steeper and I ran a 6:45 minute pace (and still able to pray!).  At 31km, I hit 6:53 pace (and surprised that I wasn't tired yet).  At 32km, my Garmin pinged a 6:39 (okay, what is going on?).  I overtook more runners and saw my average pace going down to 8:47- 8:46, which was where I wanted it to be. 

"Just bring it down further", I thought to myself.  I kept going.  At 33km, my pace there was at 6:41!  This seemed extraordinary weird or impossible. 

With only one to two kilometers to go (I wasn't sure how accurate the girl's story was on the additional kilometer), I tried to keep this level of pace as we headed down the road.

At 34km, my lap pace there was at 6:55. I looked at my Garmin and my average pace was now at 8:40- 8:42.  Pretty good but was this enough for a sub-5 finish time?  I had to keep on going.  I had to keep on praying.

I knew I was near the end as the road flattened and there were more parked cars on the road.  So much for the help of gravity.  Now, I had to put more effort for this.  I was running right behind a couple and we zigzagged our way around the local people, the people who finished the race, the marshals, the parked cars, the small road.

And then it was the finish line.  A final sprint with what I had left..

Yes!







Push!


 The last 800 meters of this race were at 6:32 pace!  The total distance was at 34.78km and my average pace had gone down to 8:35 minutes/ km.

Was this enough for a 5 hour finish time?


Apparently, it was more than enough!

My Garmin watch showed a time of 4:58:47.  PRAISE GOD!
 





Happy runner

 
My impossible goal turned out to be possible even with an additional 800 meters. Impossible becomes Possible with God by my side.

Caliraya finisher statue next to Rizal statue


Lumban church next to Plaza

I did some stretching, ate and drank some food and drinks that I had in my car, and changed my wet shirt to the finisher shirt.  I visited Lumban Church and said a quick prayer, thanking God for this good race.

As I stepped out of the church, the sun came out and I didn't want to linger any longer.  

altar of Lumban church






  And that was it.  The end of the race. And a long drive home. 

I got home at 1pm and realized I had been awake for more than 12 hours, but I wasn't sleepy.  Blame it on endorphins!

THANK YOU LORD!


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Running Streaks


 I just read a little from Runner's World (US Edition) magazine today and it was mentioned there about a certain man named Winston Churchill Howell, age 71, of Alabama, who has kept running streaks of 20 years of longer at six regional races - the longest being 39 years at the Billy Bowlegs Midnight 5-K.

So what is a running streak?

It is basically doing your running consistently and without missing a day or a race year. 

There are people who have long running streaks for old Marathon Races like New York Marathon and Boston Marathon.  As with the example above, it doesn't even have to be a long race to have a running streak.

Since road races in the Philippines is relatively new, there are only a few races that are constantly here yearly, most notable is that of the Milo Races.  Milo Marathon is the oldest road race and it has various legs in the country before it all ends with one big race at the end of the year in Manila.  Then, there are more recent races that have been here yearly and joined by a lot of people.  Notable are Adidas King of the Road, New Balance,  Run United Series and Condura races. 

Unfortunately, a lot of the road races in the country are just one-time events and never repeated again.  Then, there are some races that were there for a few years, then suddenly disappeared (Men's Health Trail Run, Men's Health Miracle Run, Greenfield Run, Mizuno, Brooks) and some races that were there almost every year (Nike, Yakult) but not consistently there.

With all these factors and limitations, it becomes harder to look for a running streak.  But I am still curious, do I have a running streak and just didn't know about it?

Looking at my own records, the races below are those I joined almost every year.  Keyword here is:  Almost!

The first (and most obvious) one that I looked at were the Milo Events that I joined.  As there are two chances to join it every year, the chances of a running streak is that much higher compared to the other, newer races:


Milo Races
August 2008 – Milo 10km
November 2008 – Milo Finals 10km
July 2009 – Milo Half Marathon 21km
October 2009 – Milo Half Marathon 21km
December 2011 – Milo Finals 21km
July 2012 – Milo Eliminations 42km
December 2012 – Milo Finals 21km
July 2013 – Milo Eliminations 42km

 Argh!  I missed one year (2010), then I remembered why!  I got tired from joining Milo and decided to take a break from it.  Who knew that a year later I would come back and eventually even do the full marathon distance!

Scratch Milo for a running streak.  Let's see what else we have here:


New Balance Race
November 2008 – New Balance 25km
November 2009 – New Balance 25km
November 2011 – New Balance 25km
November 2012 – New Balance 25km

Darn, I missed a year again!  What happened in 2010?  Sheesh!!!  Let's check out the ever popular Adidas King of the Road and Nike series:


Nike Race
August 2008 – Nike + Human Race 10km
2009 – no Nike Race
December 2010 – Nike 5km
October 2011 – Nike 10km
2012 – did not do

Adidas Run
October 2009 – Adidas 21km Run
October 2010 – Adidas King of the Road 21km Run
October 2011 – Adidas King of the Road 21km Run – Did not start!
October 2012 – did not do as did Berlin Marathon!
July 2013 – Adidas King of the Road 16.8km Run

Well at least in 2010 I ran these races, but still no running streak!  If there is a chance of a streak, Condura should be number 2 after Milo:


Condura Races
March 2008 – Condura 10km
March 2009 – Condura 21km
February 2010 – Condura 42km
Februrary 2011 – Condura 21km
February 2012 – did not do! Was in HK for Marathon there!
February 2013 – Condura 42km

So Close!  But Condura stands as event I joined the most with five events.  (Milo had eight but since it's two yearly events, it averages at two only).  Still, no streak.



Rexona Races
August 2010 – Rexona 21km
July 2011 – Rexona 21km Adventure Run
September 2012 – Rexona 21km


Run United Leg 2
August 2011 – Run United 2 21km race
June 2012 – Run United 2 21km Race
June 2013 – Run United 2 32km race


So, it is Rexona and Run United Leg 2 (so weird!) that I currently have a running streak of three consistent races!   I am signed up for Rexona 2013 this October so if I complete that race, then that would equal Condura as my longest running streak of 4 consistent races.

Not that great but everything else (with the exception of Run United Leg 2) seems far from it.  I just hope Rexona will continue to put out yearly road races or that would be the end of my running streak from there too!

RUNNING FAT BOY CURRENT RUNNING STREAK:  3 RACES (Rexona tied with Run United 2)

RUNNING FAT BOY LONGEST RUNNING STREAK:  4 RACES (Condura, ending in 2011)

RUNNING FAT BOY RACE FREQUENCY RECORD:  5 RACES (Condura)

What about you?  What is your running streak?