CEBU CITY, Philippines – As a tribute to Kobe Bryant, Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) coach Isaac Miko S. Masiglat is organizing the “Run For Kobe” either on February 1 or 2, 2020 for free.
Bryant, considered among the greatest basketball players of all time and a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Sunday, January 26, 2020, (Monday dawn, January 27, 2020, Philippine time).
“Kobe has a big impact to my life as a coach, his hard work, dedication and mentality A.K.A. mamba mentality is a big influencer,” said Masiglat, who used to also work as the strength and conditioning coach of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) men’s basketball team.
He added “I kept sharing his story to my basketball athletes before and to the athletes I trained now.”
Masiglat narrated that the idea of the tribute run came about when he told his friends in the KAYATHLETE of his plan to run 24 minutes every day starting tomorrow and end it with a 24-kilometer run on the weekend as his personal tribute to Kobe.
His friends liked the idea and Ralph Mikhail Pestillos, the head of KAYATHLETE, suggested that they make it into an official tribute run for free.
Masiglat assured that they are not making money out of Kobe’s death and that the purpose of organizing the run is really just to pay tribute to Kobe for all the positive impact that he had on athletes.
The free run will have two distance categories—8 kilometer and 24k., jersey numbers used by Kobe. It will start and end at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
The 8k will have its turnaround at the JY Square, while the 24k will have its turnaround in Barangay Talamban.
Masiglat and the KAYATHLETE are still in the process of securing the necessary permits for the tribute run thus they cannot yet confirm if it will be on February 1 or 2.
Once all the permits are done, they promised to give more details about the tribute run.
For now, Masiglat said that those who want to join can go directly to the CCSC at 4 a.m. They are asking those running the 24k to wear the no.24 jersey of Kobe while those running the 8k to don the no.8 jersey. /rcg