Eight extraordinary Filipino runners defied all odds of the pandemic and conquered the virtual running stage at the recently-concluded TCS New York City Marathon.
Made possible by New Balance Philippines, the event’s official apparel partner, eight homegrown running enthusiasts saw action in the virtual category where they represented the country and competed against a global community of runners in the world’s most prestigious running event.
Michelle Matias, Carla Piscoso, Beef Co, Anton Sietereales, Vincent De Guzman, Christian Servillas, Bel Castro and Lucille Bunagan are the contenders who were selected to represent the country in the Run for The Medal Category, the 42KM virtual category of the event.
After its cancelation last year due the pandemic, this year’s TCS New York City Marathon made a strong comeback to commemorate its 50th anniversary through a series of on-location and online events that welcomed runners across the globe.
Each participant of the virtual Run for the Medal Category was given a chance to complete the full marathon anywhere, within the two-week timeline—from Oct. 23 to Nov. 7.
In the men’s division, Spartan Pro athlete Beef Co secured the top spot among the group with the finishing time of 4:16:00, followed by first-time marathoner Vincent de Guzman who finished the race at 4:29:00.
Next, celebrity coach Antonio Sietereales clocked in 6:32:00 while entrepreneur Christian Servillas finished with the time of 6:33:00.
In the distaff side, first-time marathoner Michelle Matias was the first to cross the virtual finish line with the time of 5:20:00.
Fitness guru and influencer Carla Piscoso also made exceptional strides and completed with the time of 5:30:00, while running enthusiast Lucille Bunagan clocked in at 5:39:00, and food and spirits educator Bel Castro checked in at 6:14:02.
Aside from the pre-selected representatives, two athletes from the New Balance Run Club Clark, Abe Tayag and Christian Patiu of the TriClark-Scania Triathlon Team, ran independently and completed the marathon with impressive times, clocking in at 3:25:00 and 3:35:00, respectively.
“These unprecedented times only proved how relentless Filipinos are when it comes to pursuing their passions,” said New Balance PH Marketing Manager Mishka Rafael.
“Completing a full-fledged marathon is no easy feat – especially in this pandemic context. Crossing the virtual finish line is a tremendous feat in itself. The sport of running proved to us its inclusivity – how it can collectively unify people of different life stages and different backgrounds in achieving their aspirations amidst the trying times. We are extremely proud of our runners for finishing strong in the race and representing New Balance Philippines in the biggest running event in the world. You have truly shown us what it takes to rise above the challenge.”
Challenge Accepted
Two distinct individuals made exemplary displays of hope and inspiration as they entered their maiden 42KM race at the New York City Marathon.
Matias, a full-time mom and part-time writer of the popular running website TAKBO.PH admitted that getting into a stringent regimen is a whole new territory for her.
The rigorous training she had over the past months was a challenge in itself, and it was the driving factor that enabled her to push her limits.
Sharing her experience from her first-ever 42KM race, Matias said, “It is such a great honor to finish my first-ever 42KM race in no less than the New York City Marathon. Running virtually has its own challenges but there is no better time for me to take on this new milestone than now. New Balance Philippines has given me a solid ground to push my limits from the pre-marathon competition to the day of the race. This is such a big learning experience and I am grateful for this opportunity.”
Hard work seemed to have paid off for Spartan Pro athlete Beef Co as he not only completed his first marathon, he also managed to reach the fastest finishing time among the local contingents.
The running enthusiast simultaneously trained for the New York City Marathon and the ongoing Spartan Race, making this one of his most memorable experiences yet.
“It was tough, but everything that I have trained for was worth it,” he shared. “I never thought that I would be able to run a full marathon, so this was definitely a race to remember. Thanks to New Balance, I was able to step up my running game.”
What’s your story?
These exceptional stories add another dimension to New Balance Philippines’ #WeGotNow PH campaign in inspiring more Filipinos to pursue their aspirations and make meaningful contributions through sports.
New Balance Philippines has earlier pledged and provided over two million pesos-worth of new basketball shoes to underserved but deserving communities nationwide, this past summer.
New Balance Philippines has been steadfast in empowering the Filipino sporting community through various programs and initiatives. The brand has been bringing representatives to the New York City Marathon since 2018.
Keeping true to its promise in inspiring a whole community of runners through #WeGotNow PH, all running enthusiasts are invited to share their running experiences with New Balance’s What’s Your Running Story Challenge. Participants must post their best, most favorite, and meaningful running photo on Facebook and share their unique story. Participants must tag both the New Balance Philippines and the New Balance Run Club Facebook pages and insert the hashtag #WeGotNow and #NBRCPH in their entries.
Ten runners will receive New Balance merchandise. The challenge runs until Dec. 11.