Organizers of the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon (DAM) promise a real adventure to sport runners who are tired of pounding the concrete and asphalt roads.
“We have expanded the race into a full 42K marathon but most of the running will be in the scenic mountainous terrain surrounding Dumaguete,” said Dr. Aparicio Mequi, former Philippine Sports Commissioner who is now director of the Institute of Youth Sports for Peace at Foundation University.
For weeks, varsity athletes of Foundation University have been running the Dumaguete Adventure Marathon trail in the hills of Valencia and Sibulan towns in order to identify areas where water and food stops as well as rest rooms may be needed.
The thrill of running “off the beaten path” has attracted runners from as far as Manila, Bacolod, Cebu and some parts of Mindanao, who joined the previous two DAMS.
The DAM has been setting the trend for the holding of races in this part of the country. In 2009, it introduced the idea of running in the mountain trails to enable runners to see the scenic sights and the greenery of Negros Oriental.
In 2010, the DAM was the first run in the country to utilize a Howitzer cannon as a starting gun, with the special participation of the Philippine Army’s 302nd Brigade.
This year, the DAM has been expanded from a 30.5 km race into a full 42K race. This will also be the first race in Negros Oriental to use timing chips for accurate timekeeping.
The Jaguar Bronze Timing Chip, which can accommodate up to 5,000 runners, will see its debut in the Philippines during the DAM.
Registration is going on at the IYSPEACE office at the FU north campus (Tel. +63 35 422 9167 local 101, 113 or 165) or online at the Dumaguetemarathon.com
To encourage early registration, the fees before Oct. 15 are P175 for 3k race (for children 12 and below and adults 60-above), P300 for 5k race (13-16 years old), P350 for the 10.5 K, P400 for 21K, and P600 for 42.195 K.
Starting Oct. 16, the entry fees will be P200 for 3k race, P300 for 5k race, P400 for 0.5 K, P500 for 21K and P700 for 42.195 K.