The Road to New York (Marathon)

By RUNNEX member

November 1, 1992:  As I huddled with thousands of other runners behind the starting line, I reflected on the long road which finally brought me here, cold and shivering in a late Autumn day, on Staten Island's Verrazano Bridge.  This was the New York Marathon, the culmination of 9 years of dreaming, doubting, training and sacrifice.


Although I ran in my school's cross country events many long years ago, it was only late in 1982 that I started running seriously.  My introduction to scientific running came through the Band-Aid Marathon Clinic.

The first session of the Clinic was in the Quezon Memorial Circle, then just an abandoned park overrun with weeds and populated by carabaos.  It was sunny Sunday morning, and I grouped myself with all the beginners, most of whom were either older or on the heavy side.  "Mga kayang-kaya ito," I thought.

On our first run, our pacers led us down University Avenue up to the Oblation.  At that point,  I was already quite exhausted and fully expected to be turning back to the Circle.  Much to my surprise and dismay we continued on to the other end of the Academic Oval.  I was ready to give up and walk but what forced me to struggle on was the sight of an "old" couple (Direk and Mother Trinidad) who were gamely carrying on and encouraging their much younger co-trainees.

Somehow, I made it back to the Circle and promptly drove home where I spent the rest of the day in bed.  I could hardly get up the next morning because of aches and pain all throughout my body.  But I went back the next week, and I have been running ever since.

In 1983, Mang Cesar Cruz and Mang Pol de Leon invite me to join RUNNEX.  By then, I had already been a regular at the Quezon Memorial Circle.  With other RUNNEX members, running became more than a way to stay fit and healthy.  RUNNEX added social and learning dimensions to running, which were later instrumental in providing the incentive and support for me to run marathons.

Running with RUNNEX has given me health, fitness and life-long friendships.  With RUNNEX, I began my career in my road races.  I learned to run with a goal that changed as my condition and dreams did.  I started out in 10-K races, graduating shortly thereafter to half-marathons.  However, I never quite gained the self-confidence to try the full marathon until the prodding of my fellow RUNNEX member (and the example of Direk Trinidad) convinced me to sign up for the Manila International Marathon in 1988 and the Pilipinas International Marathon in 1990.

Having completed 2 marathons in Manila, I then set my sights on New York,  and I eventually received my race entry to the 1992 New York Marathon along with Atty Lito Imperio of the Greenhills Running Club,  who would be my running partner in New York.  I almost did not make it to New York because in August of that year,  I contracted dengue which necessitated my hospitalization and a blood transfusion right in the middle of my marathon training.  Fortunately,  I recovered in time to resume my training, and I left for New York in the last week of October 1992.

I finished the 1992 New York Marathon with leg cramps and hardly any strength left.  It was about 4 PM, but I remember the shadows lengthening as I limped my way back to my hotel.  The experience was so memorable that I participated in 2 more New York marathons after that.  While my marathon days are now over, I shall always be thankful to RUNNEX for all the training and support that carried me across the finish line -- as twilight approached Central Park, on that Autumn day many years ago.

Join the QC International Marathon and experience the next big thing to NYC :)

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