Over 80,000 participants are expected to show up at the Quezon City Memorial Circle (QCMC) on September 30 to take part in the “09.30.2012 Run, Ride & Roll for the Pasig River” that will help raise awareness and funds for waterways flowing into the Pasig River.
Different schools, non-government organizations, government agencies, and companies, have pledged support for the advocacy event that features running, cycling, and skateboarding races and will fund the rehabilitation of esteros in Quezon City.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles as ABS-CBN Foundation’s Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig (KBPIP) will forego cups at water stations positioned along Commonwealth Station to promote environmental awareness and support the Quezon City local government’s mandate to regulate the use of plastic bags in city stores, markets and business establishments.
Lanes that will be used for the race will be closed at 12 m.n. on September 30, while the two outer lanes on both sides of Commonwealth Avenue will remain open to traffic on race day. SM North Edsa and Trinoma, meanwhile, will open their parking lots early for participants with vehicles. The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) will also offer free rides from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. to those who will be presenting their race bibs.
Kapamilya actors Piolo Pascual and Matteo Guidicelli will lead the CEO River Warrior Run, which is closed to the public and is exclusive to business executives who are also donors of KBPIP. Meanwhile, Kim Chiu, Maja Salvador, Maricar Reyes, and Xian Lim will take part in the 5km Morning Madness Run.
Major categories include the 15K Ride & Roll for cyclists and skateboarders with 4:00 a.m. gunstart; the 15K Commonwealth Challenge Run with 4:10 a.m. gunstart; and the 5K Morning Madness Run with 6:00 a.m. gunstart. There will be only be one starting line for all categories that starts from the QCMC going straight to Commonwealth Avenue then back again to QCMC for the finish.
The move to revive esteros in Quezon City is part of KBPIP’s seven-year rehabilitation program that involves cleaning up all the esteros that drain into the Pasig River in order to thoroughly clean it.
It has organized three successful runs, namely the 2009 Philippine International Marathon: A Run for the Pasig River with an estimated 23,000 participants, the historic 10.10.10 Run for the Pasig River that broke the Guinness World Record for the “most participants in a racing event” with 116,087 runners, and last year’s 11.20.2011 Run for the Pasig River was the largest foot race joined by 86,547 runners.
These runs have funded the rehabilitation of Estero de Paco, a 2.9-kilometer tributary of the Pasig River in Manila, and that of Estero de San Miguel and four other esteros behind the Malacañang Palace. These esteros have been beautified and rehabilitated by relocating thousands of families living along the waterways, building linear parks, training of River Warriors or community volunteers who clean and guard the esteros against polluters, and installing active island reactors to bring life back into the estero waters. Streetlights were also put up by the City of Manila along Estero de Paco last July to attract sightseers and make it a model for rehabilitation of other waterways.
The 10.10.10 Run for the Pasig River won a Bronze Anvil and an Award of Excellence at the 45th Anvil Awards given by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, while the Estero de Paco clean-up earned an Award of Merit from the 2010 Philippine Quill Awards given by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.
Registration for the 09.30.2012 Run for the Pasig River is ongoing at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, R.O.X, Chris Sports Festival Mall and Chris Sports Glorietta. Registration is until September 29. Aside from the registration, there will also be merchandise available in the SM booths, in which part of the proceeds will also go to the river rehabilitation. For updates on this advocacy run, visitwww.runforthepasigriver.com, like www.facebook.com/
0 Comments