Maasin City opens its doors for sponsors to marathons

By BONG PEDALINO, PIA Southern Leyte
February 15, 2011

MAASIN CITY  –  Long before the successful holding of the first city-organized “Run for your Heart” marathon Friday, City Mayor Maloney Samaco has invariably aired his willingness to welcome sponsors to this running activity.

In a brief chat with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) at his office two hours before Friday’s run, Samaco reiterated his desire for organized groups to hold running events in the city, saying the city government will always backstop the group’s efforts.

He, however, cited two conditions for the city to allow such hosting.  One is that there must be a noble purpose for which the run is to be dedicated and, two, there must be proper accounting of funds generated to establish accountability.

Last Friday’s run was aimed at helping disaster victims in Saint Bernard, as participants chipped in P100 in order to join, and accounting for the funds can be expected to be out soonest.

Already, at least three more marathon events have been lined up to be undertaken within the year, with the next one slated to be held on Saturday, February 19, sponsored by Pope Paul VI Minor Seminary.

Simply called “Fund Run”, the proceeds of its P150 registration fee has been intended for improvements of the seminary building in barangay Asuncion.

Right after last Friday’s grueling run, many runners were seen already registering to join anew for the February 19 exercise.

Earlier, Samaco announced after giving the awards that next month, during the First Mass anniversary at Limasawa, he and provincial Tourism Officer Nedgar Garvez were contemplating of having a Limasawa-wide marathon, covering the whole six barangays around the historic island.

Then sometime in May this year, the city government has already set a “Takbo kontra Tabako”, although no specific date or schedule has been set for this yet, but this was in reference to the month of May when one day has been devoted by United Nations as No Tobacco Day.

Aside from these mentioned dates and plans for marathon runs, many of the months still remained open, and so Samaco enticed sponsors to come in, stressing that this has been part of the city’s enhanced sports tourism program.

In the first place, why run?  Or to be more location-specific, what motivated the almost 2,000 souls last Friday – Maasinhons, visitors (the winner was from Tolosa, Leyte) and foreigners, male and female, young and old – to jog, run, and walk around the city streets?

“Studies have shown the health benefits of running to be tremendous, reducing your chances of everything from the common cold to cancer,” reports a website devoted to running.

“Running is among the best aerobic exercises for physical conditioning of your heart and lungs.  It helps ensure the efficient flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, things that are proven to help to decrease the risk of a heart attack.

“Running – like other types of exercise – is a great stress reliever and may even relieve mild depression.  Many runners enjoy reaching the ‘runner’s high’ – that euphoric, clear, and calm state they feel after a long run… As a runner, you’ll likely to feel more energetic and creative…running also increases bone density, which can fend off osteoporosis.”

Then there’s this some sort of a spiritual benefit, with the thought that the money you contributed in an organized marathon would go to a charitable act or a worthy cause.

Thus, when you join the run, you are in good company, literally and figuratively.

And when you, or your group, your company, would sponsor a marathon, Maasin City in Southern Leyte is the ideal place for you.