Talisay City, Cebu — As part of its tradition, the Run for Sight Foundation headed by Dr. Potenciano “Yong” S.D Larrazabal, III, will spearhead the “iRun for Luzon” which is a virtual race for a cause whose proceeds will be for the victims of the recent typhoons in Luzon. This virtual run will allow runners to finish a cumulative distance anywhere within a certain period.
Larrazabal, who is also the CebuDoc Group’s president, said that they had watched helplessly as Typhoon Ulysses battered parts of Luzon and Metro Manila.
According to Larrazabal during the virtual press conference held Tuesday afternoon, November 24, 2020, after two days of seeing the devastation wrought by typhoon Ulysses, he thought of organizing a virtual running event to raise funds and help the victims as his foundation had always done since its inception back in 2007.
Drawing from his experiences in joining global virtual marathons including that of London and Athens, Larrazabal knew it was very possible to organize one here. What he was not sure of was if the suppliers would be able to provide the things needed such as singlets and medals for the finishers. But, once he was assured of getting the supplies, the iRun for Luzon was already a go.
“Due to the pandemic, our yearly University Run has been canceled this year but many running events globally have done the virtual marathons, I have joined one myself. And recently, we had at least 4 typhoons that have caused big damage in Luzon. Then we thought, we have been doing this as a foundation for years – we run for a cause. Thus, we started planning to host a running event where all proceeds will go to our brothers and sisters in Luzon who have been badly hit by the recent typhoons,” said Larrazabal, III.
The CebuDoc Group will be partnering with the Run for Sight Foundation which will be organizing its first-ever virtual marathon. Registration will start on November 30 while participants can start accumulating their run times on December 5, as soon as they will get their registration confirmation.
Dr. Potenciano “Yong” S.D Larrazabal, III, discusses the mechanics of the planned iRun for Luzon which is a virtual race intended to raise funds for the typhoon victims in Luzon. | Contributed photo via Mars Alison
Aside from the 42-kilometer category, participants can also choose to run 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K.
Larrazabal explained that if a runner registered for 42K but due to lack of time only managed 21K, then the runner automatically qualifies for the 21K.
The seasoned marathoner added that the virtual run is open to all, whether a seasoned runner, elite, or beginner.
He said that participants can complete their chosen categories at their own pace, they can even just walk leisurely as long as they make it to the cut-off date which is December 19.
“It will be a virtual running event where you can run anywhere, anytime on the given dates. You can complete the race at your own pace, iRun for Luzon is an opportunity for everyone to get back on track while maintaining health protocols but still be physically active amid pandemic and knowing that you are not just doing it for yourself but also for others,” Larrazabal said.
Running on a treadmill is also acceptable. Larrazabal said that they “we wanted to be very generous so you will also be generous in helping us raise funds.”
How to register?
The run will be held from December 5 to 19, while registration will start on November 30 and end on December 18, a day before the last day of completing the event.
Participants can register via www.runforsight.net for a fee of P999 for all categories with all the proceeds to go to the victims.
Larrazabal said that they will be handing a check to the concerned local government unit and not buy the needed goods themselves as it will be hard to transport considering that there is still the COVID-19 pandemic.
Registration fee will be inclusive of a singlet, an eBIB number which will be emailed once the participant has completed the registration, a finisher’s medal, and an e-certificate that they have helped the typhoon victims in Luzon.
Participants will be asked to track their run using the tracking app of their choice. Larrazabal said that any app will do but recommended apps are Garmin, Strava, and Runkeeper. It should have the actual date, rendered time, and distance (km).
Once participants are able to complete their run, they will be asked to submit proof of their results in order to receive their finisher’s items.
For those residing in Cebu, they can pick up their finisher’s items at the Run For Sight Foundation Office at the ground floor of the Cebu Doctors University Hospital. For those outside Cebu, it will be delivered for an additional fee of P150 while those from outside the country, their finisher’s items can either be picked up by their relatives here or it can be delivered to their relatives here with the additional fee as shipment for outside the country is not easy due to the pandemic.
A leaderboard will also be put up at the upcoming FB page which will be set up for the iRun for Luzon, so if a participant is not satisfied with his time, he can ask the organizers to erase his time and he can run his chosen distance again.
Top finishers will also be posted, although being a fund-raising run, no prizes will be given away.
Larrazabal said that as this is the first time that they have organized a virtual run, he is not sure how many runners they will be attracting but they are looking at 500 to 1,000 participants.
For more information and updates, please check the official Facebook page of CebuDoc Group for updates./rcg