Whew! I’m back from another 21k run at the Rexona Run 2012 which was held at the Mall of Asia earlier today. This year’s run was the 3rd of it’s annual run with the 21km relay making it another race to remember. And once again, it was a very well organized run from start to finish. Congrats to Coach Rio and his team of merry men!

Rexona Run 2012: Outrun Yourself

Just like in any other run, we are always challenge to beat our previous time and continue to improve our PR. So what makes the Rexona Run 2012 any different? Well, one was that being able to outrun yourself was the main theme. Another was that the organizers have assigned volunteer pacers for the different race categories to help runners beat their time! A lot of runners stayed close to the pacer and finished the race in record time!

Rexona Run 21k relay

I registered for the 21k solo run and upon seeing the race route, I noticed that the 21k relay partners were to meet at the starting point/ arc  to “pass the baton.” I was worried that it would be really chaotic and disorganized. Moreover, I feared feeling demotivated upon seeing the runners already finish their run while I still had another 10.5km to go.

So as I reached that 10.5km mark, I turned to see what the 21k relay participants were up to. Crowded on the sidewalk were a bunch of runners who were waiting for their team mate to finish the first half. An announcer on the mic or megaphone was announcing the race bib number of the runner nearing the meet-up point so his/her partner could get ready. There were also several marshals ready to assist. As they met each other, runner 1 would quickly remove his race bib which was fastened using a race belt and pass it on to runner 2. The exchange happened in a span of 10 to 20seconds.

The only thing that slightly went wrong though was the miscalculation of some runners with regards to their partner’s time. Some runners wandered off to the Rexona Activity Center while waiting for their turns that they must’ve forgotten to quickly come back. A friend of mine was telling me how one runner kept shouting his partner’s name but she was no where to be found.

Since I didn’t get to experience the relay myself, I decided to ask a bunch of friends who did, and here’s what they said:

• Doc Minnie Thomas (Bib #9873) ran with partner Mico Sabado and was the first to run in their team. Here’s what she had to say:

“Maganda ang pagkahati ng route.. medyo magulo lang sa may lipatan na ng bib sa partner mo lalo na pag sabay sabay ang mga runners. Ok ang hydrations.. 1st time ko din kasi teacher na ma experience ang relay.. all in all nag enjoy ako. Mabilis kasi partner ko..hehehe”

• Pam Mangampo (Bib #9503) was partnered with Jen Cua and was the 2nd runner in their team.

You have to be very patient kung ikaw ang 2nd runner, nasa 2nd runner kc ang pressure kung gusto mo maging okey ang time niyo ng ka-relay mo. Sa passing naman ng bib may konting hassle pero na-handle nman ng runrio team lahat.. Very organize pa rin as usual and hands on si Coach Rio.

Being the 2nd runner, mahirap mag antay lalo na kung hindi kabilisan ang partner mo, but no big deal! okay lang naman. Since ako 2nd runner double effort kc medyo mainit na so kailangan tapusin ng mabilis.. so PR pa rin.

Some runners on the other hand had a difficult time in the transition. According to them, the verification process took a lot of time and made it somewhat disorganized. Also, they claimed they didn’t know what to do and that there should be some sort of instructional video. Oh well, I still think it was a good first and I look forward to the next relay. We can only learn from our mistakes.

Rexona Run 2012: A Cleaner and Greener Run

I always noticed how several races, including that of Coach Rio’s would place a big drum beside each water station for runners to throw their used cups. Though most runners still do not follow this, I personally appreciate the effort the organizers put into it. For the Rexona Run 2012, they prepared an area with oversize garbage containers for all the used cups which was much larger than a drum! It was more or less 8 feet long, 3 feet high and divided into 3 parts for runners to throw used cups. It’s depressing though that amidst the HUGE bin, runners still threw their cups on the street. C’mon guys, we need to help each other out here! The organizers are already doing a huge part, we should do ours too. There was even one water station where a marshal was announcing for the runners to please throw the cups in the garbage bins and not on the streets. Good job sir!

Rexona Run 2012 Activity Center, Freebies and Finisher’s Kits

The activity center was HUGE! It was fun to roam around and check out the many freebies and sponsors. There were booths for kinect boxing and even dancing! Amidst feeling tired from the run, several runners still wanted more and enjoyed these games. These games were not only fun, but they also challenged participants more. There was always something to beat, may it be time or skill. Perfect for Rexona’s OUTRUN YOURSELF theme.

I’m really not the type who cares about what’s in the loot bag, but still I appreciate what is given. I wasn’t expecting Rexona to give away so many freebies and I just had to mention it here. Also, I appreciated the sponges and bananas given at several water station. It really does help tired runners. Thank you Rexona!

My Rexona Run 2012 Experience

Before finishing this post, I just need to share a short paragraph of my personal thoughts and experiences while running in this year’s Rexona Run. As I began the run, I was feeling quite enthusiastic. It has been a while since I last run 21km so I was really excited to finish my next. I tried to run continuously at least until the first 5km, but lack of training made me do a short walk by the 4th km. Still, I was determined to go on. Finally, I was nearly done with the first half. This was the point I felt so tired physically, but very energetic mentally. I failed to outrun myself in terms of time, but I felt I finished stronger and better. Also, I love love love the medal! Besides it’s unique shape, I love how HEAVY it was! It felt more real somehow. (haha) Overall, it was a very fulfilling and well organized race. Besides that, I think runners loved it because it allowed them to try something new (relay) and to work with a partner. We Filipinos love working together, and the Rexona Run helped runners achieve just that.

Lastly, I’d like to CONGRATULATE my two friends Alex Alvero and Ellen Zabala for rising to the challenge and outrunning themselves by joining their FIRST 21k and finishing strong! Woot woot!

REXONA definitely WON’T LET YOU DOWN! More power to you! Can’t wait to hear what you have in store next year!

HOW WAS YOUR REXONA RUN EXPERIENCE? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts! :)

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