PASIG—The only fun run at the sands will once again hit the shores of Boracay this summer.
Sky Cable officially launched the eighth edition of the Skyathon Boracay Beach Run at the Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurant inside the Capitol Commons complex on Tuesday.
"Skyathon is the only Boracay beach run that we are actually pushing," Delbert Santos, the marketing services manager for Sky Cable, told Dugout Philippines.
This year, a three-kilometer family run will take place apart from the usual 5K and 10K runs for the April 22 run at the Epic Beach Front.
"We're pushing for the families and the barkada that this is the time to experience running within the white sandy beaches of Boracay," Santos continued.
On what the first time participants should expect in this beach run, renowned running coach Rio Dela Cruz said, "Mahirap tumakbo sa sand. Kailangan mong mag-exert ng extra effort compared sa semento. But merong mga runners last year na naka-sapatos at meron ding mga naka-paa depende sa comfort nila. Sa gabi, meron tayong after party, so we would like to invite our runners to stay longer."
Dela Cruz's company RunRio has been a partner of the said run since 2014 even as he also joins Sky Cable's advocacy of making Boracay clean and green again.
"Proceeds of the run will be donated to the Boracay Foundation Inc. for its Coral Reefurbishment Project that we actually supported a year ago. Si Coach naman ay very supportive sa environment because he did the Takbo Para sa Ilog Pasig," Santos continued.
A coral reef refurbishing activity will take place on April 20, two days before race day.
While he expects at least 600 runners this year, Santos also anticipates the return of what he calls the "Skyathon loyalists" who have been braving the sands for quite some time now.
"They have been running in the Skyathon for the last three to five years," he described the said veterans.
Santos then bared plans of pushing the Skyathon beyond the Aklan island.
"We're looking for other destinations where we can do Skyathon. Candidates are Siargao, Tarlac, Baler, La Union, and even in Manila. We're thinking of expanding this to a big event to push this as the only destination run in the country," he revealed.
Runners can apply for the run online at skyathon.com or at runrio.com/skyathon2017.
They can also get application forms at the BFI office at AKY Gasoline Station along Main Road, Chris Sports branches in SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta 3, Robinson's Place Manila, and D'Mall in Boracay, and Rudy Project branches in Alabang Town Center, The Podium, Trinoma, SM Mall of Asia, SM Cebu, Robinson's Place Cebu, and D'Mall in Boracay.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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