Foreign runners to challenge locals in Subic marathon

Runners from Russia, the United States and neighboring Asian countries will add international flavor in the 3rd Subic International Marathon (SIM), which gets underway at the Remy Field inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). Thousands of long-distance running enthusiasts are expected to participate in the marathon (42-kilometer), half marathon (21K), and the 10- and five-kilometer events in what organizers dub as the cleanest, greenest and safest foot race in the country. Race director Eric Imperio of Extribe Inc. said they expect the 2011 edition to surpass the number of participants in last year’s race, with many more registering at the last minute. “This is a good indication that this year can surpass last year’s outcome," said Imperio, who is also the race director of the 10-10-10 Run For Pasig River and the Ironman 70.3 Philippines. Imperio added that this year’s staging will be patterned after the New York Marathon. “We have race chips which we purchased from Australia to consistently monitor the time of every participant." “We’re also ready for whatever emergency that normally happens in races, so we have a great amount of paramedics in the area and an ambulance on standby. We also have water stations every 1.5 kilometers, and most of all, we want to maintain a clean atmosphere hardly seen in other marathon events." Safety is another top priority of the SIM organizers headed by founder (Ret.) Gen. Sam Tucay. SIM organizers teamed up with the Philippine National Police Corps Movement, with no less than PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo and his predecessor, former PNP chief Gen. Jesus Versoza, leading a group of runners from the country’s police force that will take part in the event. – JVP, KY, GMANews.TV