Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people. - Randy Pausch ( 1960-2008 )

Kilometer 152: Condura 2009: Skyway Run for the Whale Sharks(Part 1 of 2)

Posted March 24th, 2009 by wilson

In a Nutshell

Wonderful, wonderful race. The Condura Run lived up to the high expectations of the Filipino running community, and maybe even exceeded them. This is very nearly every runner’s dream race come true: from the route to the giveaways to the water stations, this race got nearly everything, if not everything, right. There was a lot of talk about running in the SkyWay, and quite frankly, while I was excited, I did think it was already getting overhyped. I had experienced the Kalayaan flyover and the flyovers of Roxas Boulevard before: how different could it be?

Apparently, a lot. It was a totally different experience running in wide, nicely paved and rolling road, and being eye-to-eye with the billboards as well as some building tops. The firetruck-caused “rain”/”shower” at the SkyWay, near the turn-around point was a really, really nice touch. I mean, wow, that alone made the long arduous trip-by-foot to the SkyWay really really worth it.

The Condura Run might as very well indeed be the premiere running event in the country. It’d be the one race that I’d be recommending foreign runners to come here and join in.

Better together

The run, make no mistake, was not easy. But it was made easier by the presence of many familiar faces on the course. Aside from the usual “serial racers”, a lot of my other friends were in the event as well. My brother, braving a “mileage divide”, joined me in the half marathon after months of racing 10s(no 10 milers and 15s for that one). The Takbo.ph carboloading party of two nights before placed names on people I’ve previously only known by faces. If anything, I believe that the Condura Run made the running community even just a little bit closer, and even added not just a few more to its fold. I’m sure a lot of absolute first timers in the event, no matter what race category they joined, would certainly not mind running - and even racing - again. I just hope they don’t get disappointed - the Condura Run would certainly be a tough act to follow for any race organizer.

With partner in crime

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4 Responses to “Kilometer 152: Condura 2009: Skyway Run for the Whale Sharks(Part 1 of 2)”

  • Craig & Justin Says:
    March 25th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    Great write up sir, good read. Congrats on your finish! Justin and I had a great time as well running and getting all of the pic ops with the takbo family. :) If you get a chance, come on to Baguio and let’s do an LSD together.

    Blessings,
    Craig, Michelle & Justin Logan

  • ton concepcion Says:
    March 25th, 2009 at 8:55 pm

    wow - thanks so much for your generous and gracious comments. at condura run - our vision is to put a smile on the faces of runners - and from what you wrote it certainly looks like we did. thanks again and congratulations

  • wilson Says:
    March 25th, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    hello craig/justin,

    sure! i do hope we’d be able to do an LSD, if not in Baguio, then maybe in a Takbo.ph event. It’s really sad I missed the last one.

    See you at the starting lines!

  • wilson Says:
    March 25th, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    sir ton,

    thanks to you as well for conjuring up the Condura run, rest assured that my family and I would be looking forward to the Condura Run 2010… a full marathon by then, hopefully!

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