The College of Pharmacy of the Cebu Doctor’s University (CDU) performs their cheerdance routine after the University Run held on Sunday, September 8, at the CDU campus in North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.| Photo by Gerard Vincent Francisco/CDN Digital
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The post-race event of cheerdance competition made livelier the 14th University Run of the Cebu Doctors University (CDU) held at the university’s campus on Sunday morning, September 8, 2019.
Already a unique running event, as it started a water station decorating contest as a sidelight five years ago, the University Run continued to set itself apart from the rest of the Philippines’ running events by adding the first-ever cheerdance competition as a post race event.
After the run started and ended in front of the CDU campus at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City, students and other runners converged at the university’s basketball court for the cheerdance competition, which saw the seven CDU colleges competing for the title of becoming inaugural winners of the newest sidelight.
“For me, very successful, as far as the post race is concerned, this is the best post race because of the cheerdance competition. Before, after every race, the students, the runners, they go home immediately, so we wanted to find a way to keep everyone here for the awarding,” said Potenciano Larrazabal, III, the founding president of the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals.
Taking the inaugural title of the University Run cheerdance competition was the College of Pharmacy. Finishing as second and third runners-up, respectively, were the College of Allied and Medical Sciences and the combined forces of the CAS-OPTO-Senior High School.
The College of Medicine, on the other hand, remains undefeated as it once again took the top plum in the water station decorating contest, which had the theme of Disney movies.
Placing second was the CAS-OPTO-Senior High School and settling for third was the College of Pharmacy.
The prices were provided by the Larrazabal matriarch – Zenaida.
According to Larrazabal, they have resolved a dilemma that they’ve had for many years since holding the run and that is making the participants stay until the end of the post race program.
“The goal before was to make the race safe. So we did that, it is safe, it is around CDU and then the roads are closed. Second, we improved on the post race and fast distribution of foods and snacks to the concerned, we’ve perfected that as well and the awarding, we made the winner’s circle, so that we get all the names of the winners, we’ve achieved that as well and one delimma that we could never achieved was the post race to keep the students and the runners here so I think this year, we achieved that as well,” said Larrazabal.
Despite this, Larrazabal hoped to add more improvements in next year’s edition of the University Run.
“We will improve on the prices, we will make the route better because this time Mandani Bay was still close due to repairs, so it will include Mandani Bay next year, then we’ll see if we should make the distance longer again.” /elb