Laban ng Lahi Run targets 100K people in return

After two years of postponement, Laban ng Lahi is back! Jess Escaros/PNA (file photo)

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Mindanao's premier platoon run is making a comeback this year as it looks to revive the sports scene in the mega-region amid the shift to the "new normal".

With the COVID-19 situation in the far south already improving, Camboayon Sports is aiming for an April start to the Laban ng Lahi Platoon Run season barring another spike in cases.

According to Joenel Pogoy, the chief organizer of the run, interested teams can now begin building up a 33-people roster consisting of 30 men and three women ahead of the qualifying phase.

If plans push through, the qualifying run is scheduled on April 30 within the Filinvest City complex in Muntinlupa.

The teams that will make the cut will be going to Bislig in September for the national finals, where PHP3 million is at stake.

The teams will race through a 33-kilometer course with seven adventure challenges within it.

A side event to the run is a challenge where the runners will have to eat Lechon baboy and Lechon turkey within a 1.5-kilometer span.

The Laban ng Lahi season will end with the Laban ng Lahi Platoon Run Olympics from Dec. 16-18, where foreign teams will be invited as well for a shot at the PHP10 million championship prize.

Pogoy is hoping that around 100,000 runners will participate in the season.

The fourth edition of the Laban ng Lahi run was supposed to take place in 2020, but the pandemic canceled the plans

Registration is ongoing at labannglahi.com/buyticket.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno