2008 New Balance Power Race

The second Philippines race that this runner participated in was outside the Metro Manila area at Clark.  It was a former American Air Force base which, I believe is used now by the Philippine Air Force.

 

The date was Sunday, November 16, 2008.  A group of us went up the afternoon before because of the distance from the Manila area and the fact we could get a good night's sleep.  We really didn't though.....Gene and I maybe got two or three hours because of all the excitement.

 

New Balance Philippines put on the event and it was definitely well run.  There was quite a bit difference in the weather as it was cloudy and not nearly as humid as the previous week's race.

 

There was a 25K and a 10K and I opted on the 10K.  The races were run together so, other than the bib colors, no one really knew what distances they were running.

 

Of all the races run in the Philippines, the 10K and the last race I ran in Manila, the McDonald's 5K in December 2023, were my best races.  The humidity factor didn't set in on me until after 10K in the longer races.

 

The course itself was a nice out and back with a little incline before and after the turnaround point.  From the photo above, I was behind the same runner or almost next to him from the 5K turnaround to the finish.  My friend, Sir Jovie, mentioned that he was one of the toughest masters runners in the Philippines.  The distance was never any further than this as we headed to the finish.  The same guy out kicked me to the chute!  The time was 50:40, which was my best time that year.  The Garmin showed 10.1 kilometers so we weren't cheated. 

The awards ceremony went well.  I finished just out of the top three but was happy with the effort.  It was really nice to be, and feel, part of a photo-op that happened after the finish of both races.

 

Wilbert, Gene, Dindo and myself (hopefully I remember everyone), on the way back to Metro Manila, stopped at a McDonald's for breakfast.  For a fast food restaurant, the pancakes, scrambled eggs and hash browns, along with orange juice, never tasted better!