MANILA – CafeFrance successfully staged its “Run For Good Health” last January 26 (Saturday) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) grounds. An estimated 1,000 runners tested the three, five and 10-kilometer courses with elite runners coming home with handsome cash prizes and gift items for everyone else.
Coinciding with the restaurant’s second anniversary, Saturday’s fun run is in conjunction with their mission of promoting good health through a healthy menu of food and beverage offerings.
While elite runners were drawn by the cash prizes, a lot of recreational and aspiring runners were greatly enticed by the reasonable registration fee of only PHP 300.00 for all categories. Furthermore, the registration fee was waived for every PHP 1,000.00 purchase at CafeFrance and its sister restaurants like Tempura Japanese Grill, Flavours of China, Holy Cow, Karate Kid and Congo Grille.
For a company staging a fun run for the first time, the event gets passing marks on almost all areas. Hydration, arguably one of the most crucial and important aspects, was overflowing as volunteers handed out sealed bottles of mineral water and Gatorade at several points along the course thus minimizing the debris.
The flat course around the CCP grounds, one of the venues of choice since the first running boom of the 1980’s, seemed accurate despite the absence of a monitoring device. I guess running around the venue for the longest time in training and actual runs can give one a fair estimate.
Instead of cold and lifeless tarpaulins used as distance markers, pretty young ladies holding directional signboards accompanied by a few equally handsome young men provided a welcome relief. Some runners even paused to have pictures snapped with them.
However, the race kit did not include any form of timing device. It was back to the old school as timing was done manually. By the way, stickers to be attached to the tarpaulin race bibs were distributed at the starting line in order to differentiate which distance category a runner is entered.
Another key issue was the absence of a baggage deposit so some runners opted to carry their belongings. When attending fun runs, the practice should be bringing along only the minimum essentials and avoid bringing valuables as much as possible.
Arriving an hour before the 5:00 AM schedule gun start, our group thought the race had already started but it turned out to be a plainclothes cop chasing a troublemaker near the CCP Main Theater. Although the race began a few minutes after the announced time, it did not matter because the weather cooperated for ideal running conditions.
Entered in the 10-kilometer category, I completed the two loops around CCP in 58 minutes and change based on what was displayed on the clock at the finish line. Despite the limited effort exerted, it was a good sign that I still came up with a good result a week before my scheduled fifth marathon.
Among the many runners that competed were members of the CafeFrance Bakers basketball team of the PBA D-League, who ran in the three-kilometer category. After their race, the Bakers gamely posed for pictures with their fans and signed autographs.
During the awarding ceremonies, it was hinted that the Run For Good Health will be back next year. We hope to see a bigger and improved race next year with longer distance categories and perhaps sending the winners to compete in a French road race like the prestigious Paris Marathon.
We would like to thank the organizers of the CafeFrance Run For Good Health led by Rhea Vergara for their invitation to participate in the fun run. Merci beaucoup!
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