Cebu’s mountains provided the dramatic backdrop of the 3rd Transcebu Ultramarathon 2016

Looking for a race to break the monotony of running road marathons? Try the Transcebu Ultramarathon with its deliciously cruel altimetry and breathtaking views of the island of Cebu in the Philippines.

Transcebu is on its third year and has two categories: the 105K distance with a 24-hour cut-off and the 55K route with a 12-hour time limit. I bravely registered for the shorter race with no hill training at all. My goal was just to just enjoy the race (gasp!), the views, and hopefully beat the time.

Richard and I flew on Philippine Airlines out of centennial terminal two on Saturday, July 23, 2016 . The flight took just a little more than an hour so before we knew it, we were already landing at Mactan International Airport. Our hotel was only 13 kilometers away but the taxi ride was almost as long as our flight. The traffic bottlenecks were at the Marcelo Fernan bridge and the roads close to the port.

Best Western Lex Cebu Hotel was one of two recommended hotels by the race organizers and located a few meters away from the provincial capitol in uptown Cebu. Our reservation with the hotel was made through the Expedia website. As a Gold Expedia member, we got the room for US$53, a great deal for two nights with buffet breakfast.

We deposited our luggage in our room and took the taxi to Robinsons in Fuente Osmena. I loved to window shop at this mall back in the day when I was a college student in Tacloban City and was fortunate enough to make the special trips to Cebu.

We also walked around the newer Robinsons across the rotonda but went back to the older building to buy a late lunch at the food court. We settled for crab meat, grilled squid, pinakbet, and ginataan to go at Casa Ilongga. Dinner was chicken barbecue across the street from the hotel at the open-air restaurant Penong’s. I saw some runners and approached them to wish them good luck. They flew in from Singapore to run the longer distance starting at 9:00 PM at the municipality of Toledo.

The race briefing was at the Barangay Busay Multipurpose Hall at 2:30 PM on Saturday but they allowed participants to also pick up the bibs at the starting line. For the 55K, the starting line was in front of the municipal hall of Balamban, the halfway checkpoint and aid station of the other race.

The race organizers provided for a van at Barangay Lahug Market to bring the runners to the starting line. We each paid P120 for the trip that left past 4:30 AM and arrived past 6:00 AM. Because of our late arrival, the start time was moved to 6:30 AM.

We took off running but the crowd immediately thinned out and slowed down when we started walking the uphill roads of the notorious Transcentral Highway. At the 13K mark, we turned left to make a 10K loop at Mount Manunggal, the fifth highest peak in Cebu. The mountain is also historically significant as the crash site of the plane that carried Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay in 1957.

Cows ruled the road going up and down the mountain. The scenes were bucolic and refreshing for transplanted urbanites like me. A group of locals was at the side of the road busily prepping a 90-kilo pig to be roasted as lechon.  I was pleasantly surprised to meet a fellow Waray along the way, Alvin, looking good even after starting at 9:00 PM the previous evening.  Richard and the driver caught up with me and waited for me at the foot of the mountain. We took a selfie a few kilometers farther away.

The race  had a maximum elevation gain of 976 meters above sea level with a total ascent of approximately 2,347 meters. The next checkpoint and aid station was at the 32K mark.

I ran behind, ahead, and alongside another runner, Peter, doing the long distance so when he made a turn, I just followed him. I forgot exactly where we were but this turn was to make the loop at the Temple of Leah. Richard and the driver were my mobile aid station and they temporarily lost me when we made the turn off the main highway. The barangay road was both paved and unpaved at certain areas. I saw another group of friendly locals enjoying their Sunday afternoon with Tanduay rum, chicken barbecue, and lechon. One side of the mountain was literally covered by a camp of fighting cocks. Cockfighting is another favorite past time of the Filipinos.

The Temple of Leah was at the end of the loop. The temple piqued my curiosity with its huge edifice still under construction but already filled with tourists. I went online after the race to find out that this was a temple of love dedicated to the wife of a local businessman and grandmother of a Filipino actress. Is this our local version of the Taj Mahal?

Once we exited the loop, the marshall told us it was just another three kilometers to the finish line. Peter and I got excited so we ran a little faster. I was disappointed after three kilometers with the finish line nowhere in sight. Peter consoled me and said they usually say that to boost our morale. It was actually still another five kilometers after we finished the second loop. This was his third 105K so he knew what he was talking about. True enough, the finish line banner loomed large at the multipurpose hall of Barangay Busay a few more meters after the junction.

I was so happy to just finish the race but got an unexpected surprise when they told me that I also came in second in the race. Yes! I barely made the cut-off time but I’ll take the award any time.

Thank you for a challenging race, Cebu!

The rice terraces of the Cordillera region

When you run several marathons a year, you start to become picky and look for something unique about a race. The 2,000 year old rice terraces in the Cordillera region of the Philippines is a UNESCO world heritage site. As a race location, it is definitely one of a kind and worth the travel.

We left Makati City at 7:00 AM on Saturday, July 16, 2016, expecting to make it to the 5:00 PM bib pick-up and race briefing at Hungduan Heritage Village. The travel time was projected to be eight hours to Banaue via Nueva Vizcaya. We have a highly experienced driver, Mano Bobby, but as first timers to the area we did not anticipate the stop and go traffic on the switchbacks by San Jose City which added almost two hours to the trip. The Maharlika highway closer to Banaue was also punctuated with soil and rocks overgrown with weeds. It was evident landslides occur regularly and made the roads one-lane passageways.

We arrived at our hotel at around 5:00 PM and learned that it will take another hour to get to the municipality of Hungduan. I decided to pick up my race bib just before the start time the following day and rest for the evening.

We stayed at the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel, the only luxury hotel in the center of town. The hotel overlooks one of several rice terraces in the area. We got our deluxe room at the off-season rate, but it had no television and air conditioning. We were told no hotel in the area has A/C. Wi-fi was only available in the hotel lobby. They served us warm ginger tea while we were completing the registration cards.

We deposited our bags and ate an early dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.They served our dinner with locally sourced red rice.

The hotel also has a bar and a gift shop. Before calling it a night, Richard and I had relaxing massages in our room for P400 plus P100 tip each.

The 3rd Rice Terraces Marathon had a 5:00 AM start time. We were on the road by 3:15 AM and reached Hungduan right in the nick of time.

The Hungduan Heritage Village was the headquarters of the race organizer, Team Malaya. It is located right in front of the municipal hall, jail, and gym.The Ifugao huts in the village also served as the accommodations for some runners while the rest stayed at various home stays nearby.

The race started promptly at 5:00 AM on Sunday, July 17, 2016 for all 42K and 21K runners.

The whole rice terraces area covers 400 square kilometers at 1500 meters above sea level. Our race route took us past four rice terraces of the Hungduan terrace cluster: Kinga, Abatan, Dakitan, and Hapao.

The undulating road and trail terrain had two U-turns. The first point was after a short hike to the Balintimol Falls about 8K into the course.

The second turn-around was at the Bogyah Hot and Cold Spring. Runners, including me, took the time to jump into the water and cool off. The heat was merciless so the dip was reinvigorating.

There were plenty of marshalls to guide runners, and red ribbons marked the paths. It was fun to run/walk on the pilapil, the cemented path or dike that channels the irrigation and preserves the terrace shape.

There were two aid stations that we were able to use four times along the route. They served water, Gatorade, salt, chocolate, watermelon, crackers, and sweet potatoes. The volunteers were extremely nice and knew exactly how many kilometers to the next aid station or the turn-around. We passed each of the three first aid stations twice and saw some policemen providing support.

Richard dropped me off at the start line and came back to pick me up after the race. Along the way, he took photos of local life.

This was a small race despite the fact that we had no cut-off time. Team Malaya organizers that I talked to stated that they wanted to promote the Cordillera region through running events.

I was pleased to find out I placed second in the women’s division of the marathon. We waited for the awarding ceremony at noon and was on our way back to Makati City before 1:00 PM.

I truly enjoyed the race and hope that it grows in size and importance in the coming years.

At Puerta de Alcala in Madrid, Spain

Madrid is beautiful, trendy, and expensive. Still, I could not pass the opportunity to fly to this historical city for the EDP Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Madrid 2016 on April 26, 2016.

We took the 9:55 AM Ryanair flight out of Charleroi to Madrid on Saturday and arrived at half past noon. We took the train to Pavilion 12 of IFEMA to pick up my bib and indulge in my favorite sport after running, shopping. I checked out the latest and the greatest running gear at the expo while Richard patiently waited for me.

We took the train back to the city center to check into our hotel, the AC Hotel Recoletos by Marriott. I chose the hotel because of its strategic location to the start and finish line of the race. I had sticker shock at this hotel when they charged me 6 euros for a pot of hot water!

We freshened up and were out and about again to explore the area near the hotel. We took some snaps of the picturesque streets, visited the Royal Palace of Madrid, and stopped by the local supermarket for some basic supplies. Later, we attended mass at the Parroquia de San Manuel y San Benito two blocks away and had dinner at one of the restaurants facing the Puerta de Alcala.

I had time to have breakfast with Richard the following morning since the race started at 9:00 AM at the Plaza de Cibeles a few minutes away by foot. The Madrid Marathon was limited to 12,000 runners as well as a time limit of six hours. As a branded marathon series, the entertainment focused on exclusively on bands.

Richard was again waiting for me when I crossed the finish line at Parque de El Retiro. We walked back to the hotel where I took a shower at the hotel’s fitness center before we took the flight back to Brussels at 6:30 PM.

At the race chute before the race started at 7:00 PM.

The ING Night Marathon Luxembourg on May 28, 2016 had two major positives for me. It was nearby which meant we didn’t have to hustle to catch a flight, and held on a Saturday which freed up our Sunday.

We slept late on Saturday but we were on our way before noon to Parc des Expositions to pick up my bib. It was also the site of the start and finish lines. The drive took two hours and 15 minutes. Everyone seemed to have already picked up their bibs because there were very few people milling about when we got there.

We booked a room at Sofitel Luxembourg Europe about three kilometers away. Sofitel was in a business area and along the race route. The hotel told us everything in the mini bar was free which was a nice perk. Once we were inside our room, I laid out the contents of my goodie bag to check out the race shirt, two oranges, water, SebaMed shower products, magnetic race bib holders, and a wrist sweat band. Not bad.

Hotel Sofitel Luxembourg

Contents of the goodie bag

The grand foyer of the hotel.

Our room for the night.

The bathroom was nice and clean.

Lanvin toiletries in the bathroom.

Not much in the hotel fridge but everything in here was free!

I took a quick nap and by 5:00 PM, I was dressed for the race and hungry. The hotel restaurants were not open yet for dinner. We ended up at the hotel bar where Richard ordered chicken teriyaki and I ordered pasta.

We took advantage of the free bus rides to and from the race site. The excitement of the runners was palpable as soon as we arrived at Parc des Expositions. Music was blaring. Sponsors were giving away lots of freebies to runners and supporters alike; we scored a couple of orange ING cowboy hats ourselves.

People were milling about, including a group of stilt walkers in the race area. I got to know some young runners who were running for the Philippine Luxembourg Society. They told me their organization has some lumpia waiting for runners at the 14K mark.

Moko jumbies mixed with the crowd at the start of the race.

Met a group of half-Filipino half-Luxembourgers running for the Philippine Luxembourg Society.

Richard found me amidst the throng of runners!

Getting into the mental zone to finish the race.

We were off a little after 7:00 PM. It was another well-organized European race with plenty of refreshments at the aid stations and a variety of entertainment at critical spots. I even heard Swiss long horn performers and saw traditional dancers. Being in this part of the world meant that the sun was up longer so there was sunlight even at past 10:00 PM.

Nothing beats the drum lines in drumming up the runners’ energies!

A choral group sang beautiful relaxing music along the course.

Swiss long horn music was part of the entertainment.

The music groups stayed as long as possible to keep the runners company.

More drum lines please!

Hmmmm… what’s out there?

Traditional dancers.

The highlight of the race was the lantern village at the 30K mark. The riverside area was bathed in an ethereal blue light and lined with various colorful lanterns.

The party atmosphere was in full swing by the time I crossed the finish line inside the exhibition hall around midnight. The whole area was packed with finishers, family and friends drinking the alcohol-free and the real beer. Richard and I took the bus to the hotel and climbed into bed pleased with the thought of another race done.

Free alcohol-free beer at the finish line!

I grew up in Tacloban City, Philippines, developing a love for Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales and stories. The Little Mermaid stood out in my mind because of its particularly beautiful and haunting ending. When I registered for the marathon in Copenhagen, visiting one of its iconic tourist attractions was at the top of our must-see list.

We were in Ramstein AFB, Germany for work the past two days but we were on the road again at 3:30 AM on Saturday morning to catch the 6:40 AM Ryanair flight to Copenhagen out of Charleroi. Copenhagen Airport is a huge international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark, the entire Zealand, the Øresund Region, and a large part of southern Sweden.

The marathon expo at Spartahallen opened at 10:00 AM so when we landed a little before 9:00 AM, I thought we could make it to the statue of The Little Mermaid and be back early to pick up my bib. Nope, I got us lost and we ended up at the Hellerup metro station because the train we were on did not stop at Nordhavn.

We backtracked and by the time we arrived at the marathon expo, it was already in full swing. At least we bought 24-hour tourist tickets for 170 Danish kroner each valid for the metro, train, and bus. One euro was about 6 Danish kroner. Free wi-fi was available on all public transportation, as well as at the airport.

The kids’ marathon was in progress at the park in front of the expo site. On the other side of the park, people were doing tai chi.

From Spartahallen, we took the 1A bus at Arhusgade (13 mins, 8 stops) to Kongens Nytorv and got on the M1 metro in the direction of Vestamager (8 mins, 5 stops) to Bella Center. The metro came at 3-minute intervals and was fully automated. It was both interesting and a little unnerving to get on a driver-less metro car.

We stayed at the AC Hotel by Marriott at the Bella Sky Center. The hotel is a very nice 23-story, two tower edifice that was the epitome of Scandinavian aesthetic. Our room was sparsely modern. The wall between the bathroom and bedroom area was glass. We faced the other tower and could see in the windows of those rooms. No privacy if you prefer, although you could lower the shades for some.

We deposited our luggage and went to the nearby Netto supermarket to stock up on our usual basics. We rested and were out again in search of the elusive mermaid. We asked the concierge this time for directions and he recommended that we take the M1 metro to Vanlose (9 mins, 5 stops) and get off at Kongens Nytorv. From there, it was a short walk to Nyhavn, a 17th century waterfront district with colorful buildings and many dining choices, and a few more minutes of walking to the correct waterfront.

Nyhavn District

The other side of the canal in the Nyhavn District

Copenhell?!?

We finally found the little mermaid statue displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade. She was beautiful, and surrounded by a throng of tourists queueing to have their pictures taken with her.

We took some photos of the views on the way back and paused for a buffet dinner at one of the cafes by Nyhavn before calling it a night.

The alarm went off at 6:30 AM on Sunday morning. After a quick breakfast, we took the metro to Islands Brygge, three stops away from our hotel.

There was a cool breeze in the morning but it was basically a warm day for running. By 9:30 AM, the elite runners were off and the runners in my corral began our race 15 minutes later.

I love the fact that I get to see a city up close when I run. The Copenhagen course was designed to go through the city center where we ran by a mix of avant garde and historical architecture.

It was also interesting to watch the people I run with. A local running club was out in full force with its members running while pushing adults with very special needs. I was moved by the expressions on their faces and touched by the applause they received from the spectators. The club also provided its own logistical support so that runners and the people on the wheelchairs can get specialized aid. The aid stations had water, High5 sport drinks, oranges, and bananas. Water hoses were provided to cool us down.

Runners were duly entertained by the variety of entertainment provided on the course.

One section was interesting; women wore carnival costumes and danced to the drum line. We passed their section three times and they were tireless in cheering us on.

All said, it was another good race done. Richard got a 1:00 PM late checkout and they allowed me to use the shower at the fitness center to clean up before flying back to Belgium.

Picking up the race bib at the Industrial Palace in Prague.

The Czech Republic was recently in the news because the country now wants to be known as Czechia. Both BBC News and The Economist reported on this name change, following the example of France which is the official geographic short name of The French Republic.

When we arrived on May 7, 2016 for the Volkswagen Prague Marathon the next day, I was actually half-expecting Czechia to already be in widespread use but it was not the case. Maybe not just yet.

We flew with Ryanair and landed at Vaclav Havel Airport at noon on Saturday, May 7, 2016. For 60 Czech koruna each, the Airport Express shuttle bus took us to the Prague Main Railway Station (Praha Hlavni Nadrazi) in 40 minutes. We bought one day public transport tickets for 110 Czech koruna. The day’s exchange rate was one euro to about 24 Czech koruna.

We got on the C Metro to the Nàdrazí Holešovice three stops away. Once we got there, it was one tram ride away to the Sport Expo at the Industrial Palace in  Výstaviště Holešovice. Although it took three transfers, getting to the expo was easy. The sport expo was in a cavernous site with beautiful colored glass and ironwork detailing.

After claiming the bib and doing the requisite photo in front of the event poster, we retraced our steps and got on the same C Metro to go back two stops at Florenc. We were booked for two nights at the Hilton Prague, the official race headquarters.

The Volkwagen XL7 concept car was displayed in the lobby. I wondered if the marathon winners won this car as their prizes since the automaker is the main sponsor.

We bought water and yogurt at Albert supermarket right across the street and went back to the hotel to rest a bit. By early evening, we were out and about again checking out our dinner options. We ended up at Palladium Mall about ten minutes’ walk away. Dinner was Mongolian BBQ at Jurta inside the mall.

The start and finish lines were at the historic Old Town Square. The buildings around the square are awe-inspiring. The skyline was dominated by the Tyn Church built in 1385 and the Saint Nicholas Church completed in 1735.

Tyn Church

St. Nicholas Church

The weather was already warm when the race started at 9:00 AM. There were 10,613 finishers so the number of starters must have been higher. Although we did not need it since we were staying within walking distance, it was good to know that the bib served as our free transportation ticket anywhere during the race day.

This flat and fast course weaved through the historic city center, the river side, and crossed seven bridges before ending back at the Old Town Square.

We crossed Charles Bridge built in 1357 and claimed to be the most beautiful Gothic bridge in the world.

The IAAF Gold Label race has a seven-hour time limit. There was a portion of the race where we had to run two loops. I passed by our hotel twice before crossing the finish line. We walked back to the hotel to get cleaned up and went back out in search of dinner. Too many restaurant choices; ended up at the Palladium Mall again but this time, we had Japanese food at the screaming sushi restaurant.

It was nice not to have to rush back to the airport after the race. We stayed another night at the hotel and had our leisurely breakfast.

Our flight back to Brussels was at noon on Monday, May 9, 2016. Richard splurged on a 35-euro limo ride back to the airport. We asked the driver to stop at the Old Town Square so that we could take one more proper photo before we got on our way.

The Chimay beer tasting station at the 38K mark.

Looking for an unusual race? Look no further than the Beer Lovers’ Marathon 2016 in Liège, Belgium. How can a runner resist all the beer one can drink, a generous seven-hour time limit, and a beautiful race course? There’s a reason why hashing is a popular sport. Beer gives you the buzz that makes the distance bearable, even fun!

I don’t drink but even I couldn’t resist running this course! Racing the first edition on May 15, 2016 was an added perk.

We left our house at 6:30 AM and the drive took one hour and 20 minutes to get to the Museè de Wallonne which served as the Runners’ Village. The goodie bag contained the finisher shirt, the race program, and the Le Chouffee Beer gnome key chain. Bib in hand, we walked to the nearby start and finish line in Place Saint Lambert.

Musee de Wallonne

Place Saint Lambert

We were off on our running adventure at 8:30 AM. Indeed, it was a pleasurable race because of the promise of 17 beer tasting stations. Costumes were not mandatory, but highly encouraged.

Most runners arrived ready to run and party, not necessarily in that order. There was a costume contest during the race based on the theme, when I was five years old, I wanted to become. . . There were only a few of us garbed in our usual running attire, and the visual feast entertained everyone: runners, volunteers, spectators, and performers.

The course took us through the magnificent sights of Liège.

Parc de la Bouverie

The first beer tasting station was at the 5K mark, all the better to lube the efforts of climbing the 374-step Bueren Stairs.

The 374-step Bueren Stairs

The remaining 16 beer stations were right beside the usual aid stations with water, Etixx isotonic drink, raisins, oranges, salted peanuts. Belgium is famous for its chocolates and beers. Leffe Blonde and Chimay were just two of the alcohol brands I recognized.

Most runners were not concerned with their finishing times. They stayed to party at each station, often taking turns at the drum lines, dancing, sitting, chatting, and just shooting the breeze.

The last of the runners staggered through the finishing line by 3:30 PM. Aside from the finisher medals, they also gave two more free glasses of the beers of our choice. Free showers were available and most stayed to continue to party at the Beer Lovers’ Festival until 1:00 AM.

I really liked this race. Great vibes, no pressure. The organizers modeled this event after Le Marathon du Medoc; now I have to sign up for that race too.

Richard’s photo of the Rotterdam Erasmus Bridge

Race themes seem to be common in Europe. With the Rotterdam Marathon it is “you’ll never run alone”. True enough, the whole race course was kept alive by fun-loving and generous spectators as well as the staggered start  of the marathon relay participants.

Rotterdam was near enough that we did not have to stay overnight but it did make for a very long day. We were at the train station on Sunday, April 10, 2016 early to catch the 5:29 AM train to Brussels Midi Station. We arrived at 6:04 AM and had some time for coffee before our 6:40 AM intercity train to Rotterdam.

We arrived at the Rotterdam Central Station at 8:56 AM. The same day bib pickup was at the Postillion Convention Centre WTC Rotterdam a few hundred meters away from the central station.

Richard found my name on the list and appreciated the art displays at the center. The goodie bag only contained the race shirt and the marathon program.

The race was supposed to start at 10:00 AM with a 5:30 time limit but it was not until 10:30 AM before my corral started to move.

The race passed through Rotterdam’s modern sections. I considered the Kralingse Plas as the highlight of the race, a  huge lake bordered by the Klimpark Fun Forest and a golf course.Here are a couple of the photos Richard took around the area:

The cheerers along the course were very interesting. People took the event as an occasion to have street parties which made it fun for the runners. They were out in full force dancing, drinking, and loudly cheering everyone as we ran by. Indeed, I never felt I was running alone with all the people out on the road.

The people were also very generous. There were groups who set up their own aid stations and were giving out strawberries, chocolates, oranges, and small bottles of sports drinks. I gratefully ate several sweet strawberries.

The aid stations had the usual water, cola, and bananas. They also had sponges to cool us down.

The race finished in the same area as the start line. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a rose as a finisher. Very nice! I think everyone got them because I saw male finishers with roses too.

It was a short walk to the central station to catch our train back to Brussels.