3 42Ks in 3 Weeks: The Kawasan Falls-Milo-Aboitiz Marathon Triple

 '3 marathons in 3 weeks' safely and happily accomplished!  

The Philippine 42K running calendar this year affords two chances to run back to back to back marathons in a span of 21 days. The first such opportunity occurred with the holding of the Kawasan Falls (July 24)-Milo Manila Eliminations (July 31)-Aboitiz Race to Reduce Challenge (August 14) 42K trio. The second chance will open up if the Run for Pasig (November 20), Quezon City Marathon (December 4), and Milo National Finals (December 11) take place as scheduled later on this year.

My DailyMile weekly training log: 3 42Ks occurred on weeks 30, 31, 33

At the outset it behooves to mention that running multiple marathons over a short span of time is not for everyone. In fact, it can even be outright dangerous for those not properly trained and, therefore, ready! Most running coaches recommend a marathon dosage of only two 42Ks-a-year. This is perfectly understandable since many marathon training programs last 24 weeks or 6 months. A more important reason, however, is the paramount need to condition the body and mind, not to mention the spirit, to the harsh rigors of running 42.195 kilometers- in the process relentlessly pounding the pavement or bare ground 60,000 times and draining the body almost out of energy! For my very first marathon, for example, I had to log 766 kilometers during a 16-week training period to be in tip-top condition. In the last 6 months, on the other hand, I accumulated 800 kilometers of mileage to keep myself multiple 42K-ready. One simply has to first pay the dues and respect the distance. No ifs, no buts, no excuses.

Holder and Macon (106 marathons each/year; MM Newsletter, 7/11)

Running coaches' recommendations, notwithstanding, there are people who can run 106 marathons a year- yes, not twice a year but twice a week- such as Marathon Maniacs Yolanda Holder and Larry Macon! And recently, the world record for most marathons in a year was set by a 49-year old Belgian, Stefan Engels at, hold your breath, 365 or one marathon a day! The hallways of the Insane Asylum of the Marathon Maniacs are littered with living specimens of this 'just-can't-get-enough' breed- runners who are hopelessly addicted to doing marathons or ultramarathons back to back to back. Not to set records, but because, to them, it's one of the greatest things in this world to do! One of them is MM#2800- me. Check here if you are now or will be.

It, therefore, comes as no surprise that I am familiar with the 42K running calendars of Asia and home. Triple 42K opportunities to me are to be seized, not avoided. So when I became aware of the Kawasan-Milo-Aboitiz triple marathon opportunity, I searched for discounted airline tickets and hotel rooms immediately. After all, this gig was going to cost- it was a Cebu-Manila-Cebu inter-island odyssey. Cebu Pacific Air and Agoda.com, once again, to the rescue!

KFM: A scenic and coastline-hugging route in Cebu province.

The Kawasan Falls Marathon (KFM), sponsored by the Three Sixty Pharmacy, involved a scenic and coastline-hugging run along three southwestern towns of Cebu province- Badian, Alegria, and Malabuyoc, finishing near the Kawasan Falls, a major local tourist attraction. The race itself was very well organized, with plenty of hydration and roads lined-up by local residents cheering us runners on even at early dawn. The laid-back and rustic surroundings, not to mention the countryside clean and fresh air, enhanced the run's quality even more.

Tough guys of Cebu's Team Tytsbogdo or TTB  @KFM :=)

Organized by Cebu's famous marathoner-eye doctor Potenciano 'Yong' Larrazabal and his Run for Sight Foundation, this year's KFM was well-attended by Cebu's running community. Indeed, running in the province has come a long way, with races being held almost weekly. Many running groups now been formed, and one of the early ones- Team Tytsbogdo or TTB, that has in its roster the tough guys behind the running blogs Ten Feet Forward and Chasing Pavement, even celebrated its first anniversary recently. If interested to run this event next year, book your accommodation early as there are only very few hotels near the marathon venue. Plan a post-marathon dip in the cold waters of the Kawasan Falls for it is perfect for race recovery.

Milo 42K-Manila route mapped on Google Earth using a Garmin FR310XT. 

The second 42K was the Milo Marathon.  It was the Manila leg of this 12-leg elimination series that goes around the country. Runners who are able to meet the cut-off finish times for different age brackets qualify for the finals that this year will be held on December 11. Finals qualifiers get to run the December 42K for free. This Milo elimination run will be etched for a while in my memory because we ran under a heavy rain three-fourths of the way- a first soaking-wet local marathon for me. It was also my first time to run the entire route used in a single event- I had ran portions of it in separate events previously.

Milo 42K: Pre-run photo with fellow Marathon Maniacs from Singapore.

This Milo Marathon-Manila leg was very well-managed this year by the country's premier race organizer Rio de la Cruz through his Runrio.com outfit. It was well attended, with some runners even planing-in from other cities, both local and of other countries. The latter included a delegation of fellow Marathon Maniacs from Singapore who thoroughly enjoyed the wet running experience (photo above). Already on its 35th staging, the Milo Marathon is the oldest but still a must-run marathon in the Philippines. I am tempted to run this race again, dry this time, in December.

Aboitiz Race to Reduce Challenge route in Cebu.

The third and final 42K was the Race to Reduce Challenge by Aboitiz Ventures in metropolitan Cebu. The route took the 200 plus runners from Mandaue City to the nearby towns of Consolacion and Liloan for a quick glimpse of the local communities. While the first half of the race seemed okay to me, many runner complaints were heard over the lack of or inadequate race necessities such as hydration stations, distance markers, and race marshals during the second half of the 42K. But the race winners were truly happy- the event had the richest prize pot ever for a marathon in Cebu City. However, for the recreational 42K runners who comprised the majority, one could only hope that Aboitiz' promise to correct the mistakes made this year would be realized come next race day and those concerned try to settle amicably the post-race controversy, not with bluster, but with humility. Holding the event before, rather than after, the manpower- and energy-draining festival Pasigarbo sa Sugbu, might help in some way.

Kawasan-Milo-Aboitiz Marathons Average Finish Time: 4:50:36.

Three marathons in 21 days, all held locally, with no need to ever leave the country! With proceeds of the three marathons being used to help improve/restore the eyesight of the underprivileged (Kawasan), provide shoes for poor school-age children (Milo), and reduce our collective carbon footprint (Aboitiz), this triple was also all about charity. But as for the 'me', the finish times logged were 4:57:22, 4:40:31, and 4:53:55, respectively, or an average of 4:50:36 for the three full marys. Not particularly fast but, just the same, a sub-5 Triple, if you may. Looking back at the 17 full marathons done thus far till today, sub-5's have become rather the norm for me. I have thus begun to wonder whether the time has come to level up and test the waters at 50K.

Missed the above running opportunity? No worries. Another '3 42Ks in 3 weeks' chance is coming up less than 3 months from today. Just be sure to run prepared, safe, and, most of all, happy!