Around P500,000 worth of cash prizes will be up for grabs in the annual Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. (DSOS) Half Marathon which is slated for September 9 and will kick off at the monument of Cebu’s grand old man in SM City Cebu and end at the Cebu City Sports Center.
The running event organized by the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) will have a 21-kilometer or the half marathon distance, as well as 10-k, 5-k and 3-k distances.
Each distance will feature different age groups. The 21-K will have the open and the foreigner categories, while the 10-k will have 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and the 60-above. The 5-k will have the 13-18 while the 12-under 3-k will be for grassroots runners.
The top 3 public schools with the biggest delegation will also be given cash prizes.
This year’s DSOS Will be the first edition which will not use any plastic products such as cups, bottles and other accessories.
According to Cebu City Councilor Eugenio ‘Jun’ Gabuya Jr., who is also the deputy head for sports, he passed an ordinance to ban all plastic materials in all running events that will be held within the Cebu City area. Although the ordinance is still awaiting approval, it has already drawn support from the City Council.
“During our regular session, we decided to pass an ordinance to prohibit the use of plastic cups, and plastic bottles in every running event that will happen in Cebu City. If this will get approved it will surely help our environment, also it will maintain cleanliness during running events and this is also to support a cause of Cebuano environmentalist Tony Galon,” said Gabuya.
Galon is an advocate of Five Pieces Daily Habit, an environmental cause which discourages Cebuanos from using plastic materials daily. In fact, Galon, also has his own running event dubbed as the “Basura Run”.
One of the most vocal supporter of Gabuya’s ordinance is CCSC chairman Edward Hayco.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own hydration bottles while paper cups will be used in the water stations.
Meanwhile, Hayco promised to field in 2,000 runners mostly beneficiaries of CCSC’s grassroots program.
The proceeds of the running event will be used for CCSC’s grassroots program in sports.
Around 3,000 to 3,500 runners are expected to join the running event which will be handled by veteran race director Joel Juarez of Coco Running.
Registration fee is P500 for the 21-k, P400 for the 10-k and P300 for the 5-k. The 3-k category is free but is exclusive to the grassroots runners.
Participants of distances that require a registration fee will get a singlet and a race bib while the 3-k participants will only get a race bib.
Top 20 finishers in each distance will get cash prizes.
To register, visit the CCSC office located inside the Cebu City Sports Center.