DAVAO CITY — Professional runners and running enthusiasts are encouraged to join the first ever international marathon that will attract athletes from Brunei, Indonesia , Malaysia and the Philippines here in this city next month.
To be held in line with this year’s 13th anniversary celebration of the Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), the 1st International BIMP-EAGA Marathon will open on April 1, and will line up 3 runs: the 10-km Premier Race, the 10-Km Open Race and the 5-km race.
With its route set from Rizal Park to San Pedro, then Elpidio Quirino, Jose Laurel Avenue, with the turning point at the Regional Health Office, then back to the same route, then San Pedro and Rizal Park for the finish line, the 10-KM Premier Race is open to all male and female runners, from ages 18 to 23 years old. Top prizes at stake are P15, 000 for the male winner and P10,000 for the female winner.
To qualify for the 10-km Premier Race, interested foreign applicants must be endorsed by the EAGA Sports Council. Interested local applicants, on the other hand, must be endorsed by their concerned Local Government Unit (LGU).
The 10-km Open Race covers the same route as the 10-KM Premier Race but is offered to all interested applicants, and does not require any endorsement. Top prizes at stake, are P11,500 each for the male and female winners.
For the 5-km race, the route is set from Rizal Park-San Pedro, to Elpidio Quirino and Jose Laurel Avenues, turning to Gaisano Mall, and back to the same route at Rizal Park for the finish line. Top prizes at stake are P3,000 each for the male and female winners.
To register, interested parties are required to secure an endorsement form from their appropriate council, LGU or school. Local participants are requested to fill in the necessary registration form, while foreign participants will be asked to do so upon their arrival in Davao City.
For the foreign participants (10Km run), registration fee is set at $10. On the other hand, local participants for the 10km and 5km runs, are required to register at P50. Students who wish to register for the 5km run, will be able to do so for free.
Local participants are then encouraged to submit their registration form and payment on or before 31 March 2007. Deadline will be strictly observed.
For local registration and more information, interested parties may contact the KONCORDANS Incorporated at Rm.101 Villa Margarita Hotel, Bajada, or through telephone numbers (082) 221-5674, loc.101, and 300-6730, or through e-mail, at konkordans@gmail.com.
Conceptualized under the framework of the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games, the 1st International BIMP-EAGA Marathon serves as a key single sports event that will be held every year before the Friendship Games, which is conducted every two years. The marathon then is projected to sustain the ties fostered among EAGA athletes and sports councils during the Friendship Games.
Conceived in 1995, the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games was proposed as an appropriate venue for sports development, as well as educational and cultural exchange among athletes from Brunei , Indonesia , Malaysia and the Philippines . As shown in last year’s Friendship Games in Makassar , South Sulawesi, Indonesia, events featured are pencak silat, swimming, athletics, sepak takraw and lawn tennis.
The 1st International BIMP-EAGA Marathon is being organized by the BIMP-EAGA Sports Council, in partnership with the BIMP-EAGA Tourism Council, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the City Government of Davao, the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), the Office of the Presidential Adviser in the Peace Process and the participating local government units of Mindanao and Palawan.
Also supporting the international event are the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Office of Congressman Antonio Floirendo, Jr., Louis Berger Group, Inc., GTZ, Holiday Spa, Phoenix , THE Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Inc. (Tadeco) , Davao City Water District (DCWD), Coca-Cola Bottlers Incorporated and Marco Polo Hotel. (MEDCo)
