A trade fair dedicated to health and fitness is set to unfold Thursday at the Midtown Wing Exhibit Area of Robinsons Place Manila, ushering in the eagerly-awaited ASICS Rock n’ Roll Running Series Manila presented by AIA Vitality weekend.
With a sold-out participant count of 9,400, anticipation is high for the second edition of Southeast Asia and Asia’s largest running series firing off Sunday midnight (Nov. 26) at Rizal Park. The race will cut across Manila’s iconic landmarks, including the National Museum, the Walled City of Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, Manila City Hall and the Kartilya ng Katipunan.
Prior to hitting the city streets, participants are required to visit the AIA Vitality Health and Wellness Expo for bib number and kit claiming. The expo will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Running until Sunday, the expo offers sponsors and backers a chance to engage with potential customers and clients in a friendly environment.
The expo and festival area, however, will move to the Quirino Grandstand Sunday midnight in time for the 42K marathon run at 12:01 a.m. to be followed by the 21k, 10K and 5K races. Providing entertainment at flag-off till finish cut off time are DJ Shai, Kokoi Baldo, Reujen Lista and the Trinidad band, Gracenote and Mojofly.
Title sponsor ASICS aligns this event with the Department of Tourism’s “Love the Philippines” campaign. It features four categories with routes showcasing the capital city’s famous landmarks.
It also coincides with Manila’s 451st founding anniversary with AIA Vitality as the presenting sponsor and support from partners such as Lungsod ng Maynila, DTCAM, Love the Philippines, National Parks Development Committee, Rizal Park, Intramuros Administration, MMDA, Lightwater, 2GO, Pagcor, Hype-Pro, Regent Foods Corp., The Philippine Star, One Sports+, Cignal, Sportograf.com and Ilaw ATBP.
The event promises a blend of running with partying and a concert that will have participants treated to music throughout the route enhanced with themed water stations and a musical bash at the finish.
With the RnR Manila run awarded with official certification and measurement from the governing World Athletics and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), participants in all four race categories will be allowed to use their finishing times for potential qualification in major endurance races in the world, including the Boston and New York marathons, along with the Tokyo, Berlin, London and Chicago runs.