Twenty-twenty-six is set to provide a bonanza for Filipino marathon running enthusiasts with the launch of the Philippine Marathon Majors.
The running boom is in full swing in the Philippines, but the stakes are set to get even higher next year as the Philippine Marathon Majors, a series of eight world-class marathons to be run all over the country, unfolds.
A brainchild of Rio de la Cruz, the man behind RUNRIO, Inc., the Philippine Marathon Majors are poised to become the most challenging and extensive marathon circuit in the Philippines, with four legs in Luzon and two each in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Coach Rio said he was inspired to set up the Philippine Marathon Majors after attending the Sydney Marathon, which was recently elevated to the status of World Marathon Major, five years ago.
“Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I had the opportunity to be invited to participate in the Sydney Marathon,” he said during the launch of five of the races last Friday. “And one of our objectives during that time is to create our own marathon majors.”
The experience in Sydney motivated Coach Rio to organize the Philippines’ own version of the World Marathon Majors. After careful planning and consultations with local government units nationwide, the eight legs of the Philippine Marathon Majors were finalized.
For Luzon, there will be the Ayala Philippine Marathon on February 22, the Galaxy Manila Marathon on June 7, the One Clark International Marathon on September 20, and the Trilogy Run National Finals on November 8.
The Visayas region will host the Iloilo Marathon on April 12 and the Cebu International Marathon on July 12, while Mindanao will have the Davao Marathon on August 15 and the Cagayan de Oro Marathon on December 13.
Five of these marathons — Iloilo, Cebu Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Clark — will be sponsored by Singlife Philippines, which will also provide all runners with insurance. The five runs will be collectively known as the Singlife Philippine Marathon Majors.
Singlife CEO Lester Cruz, himself a runner, explained the decision to get involved in this project.
“To us, this partnership isn’t just about having our name in the banner. It’s about giving something tangible back to the runner who inspired us. Every registered runner in the Philippine Marathon Majors will receive complimentary insurance coverage from Singlife. So protection that starts even before race day.”
Run a marathon, see the Philippines
One of the main objectives of the Philippine Marathon Majors is to showcase the different tourist spots in the country to both local and foreign runners. This led Coach Rio to increase the number of races in Visayas and Mindanao.
“Originally, we only planned one race per city in each Visayas in Mindanao. But we see a lot of potential. And during our races conducted in this area, it was just right for us to accommodate at least two races in Mindanao and two races in Visayas,” he shared.
“Of course, one of our goals is to promote each city. And we encourage and hoping to attract local runners to travel locally. And most importantly, we want to attract international runners to come to the Philippines and showcase our Philippines cities and food and other things that we can actually provide.”
DOT Director for Golf Tourism and Special Projects Lyle Fernando Uy echoed Coach Rio’s sentiments.
“The Philippines is a very rich country wherein we have diverse islands, we have diverse cultures that need to be explored. Through sports, we believe that this can be done.
“And one sport that is actually attracting a lot of people is running. If you infuse passion with culture, with hospitality, I think the Philippines has a very bright future for sports tourism.”
All eight races will receive the endorsement of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA), with each route certified by World Athletics and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).
PATAFA’s endorsement will allow national athletes to participate, with the possibility of using the races as qualification for regional competitions.
“We are providing a platform, an opportunity for our national athletes. To give you a background, our national athletes cannot join any races in the Philippines if it’s not certified or accredited by Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association.
“We can help these elite runners by providing this kind of event,” Coach Rio explained. “They don’t have to run all the eight races. But they can actually use this as a qualifying for SEA Games, Asian Games, Olympics, or any other international races that they will be representing Philippines.”
The certification of World Athletics and AIMS also means that the Philippine Marathon Majors will also serve as qualification for World Marathon Majors. All finishers will collect points and see their names in the world rankings.
“I think some of you ran the Manila Marathon last August 10,” Coach Rio said. “You can actually see your results in the World Athletics. So that’s one of the perks of this partnership.”
Banner Images from RUNRIO