WITH awareness for the environment in mind, the Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2018 is set to take off on April 22 at the Mall of Asia grounds.
This time around, plastic cups will not be allowed for use by runners to hydrate themselves during the run.
That’s because race organizers are officially launching the #NotPlastic campaign.
The campaign will deal the country’s issue on single-use plastics that pollute oceans and threaten marine biodiversity.
“We will introduce Plastic Free. We will not be serving water on plastic cups. So, everyone upon registration, will get a water bottle for the run,” said race director Rio de la Cruz of RunRio.
De la Cruz discussed the race during its launch yesterday at the Maxim Hotel in Pasay City with Jude Turcuato, Fox Networks Group Asia general manager for the Philippines.
He said elite runners will be invited to join, but most of them do not hydrate and drink water while racing.
For the sixth time, the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines will partner again with organizers on their advocacy for the race.
Organizers are looking for to 15,000 runners seeing action the 3K, 5K, 10K, and 21K categories.
Unfortunately, De la Cruz said this will be the last time that they will be having Roxas Blvd. as the route of the race.
The Metro Manila Development Authority is disallowing any more road races along Roxas Blvd., according to de la Cruz.
“We are helping the Earth and the environment. And we have done this in the past with the help of the WWF,” said Turcuato.
De la Cruz added that elite runners registered in the 21K category can join a series of running clinics.
Here, experts will share warm-up and cool-down lessons, hydration and post-run exercises that will help runners prepare for the race.
The running clinics will take place on March 5 and 7 and April 9 and 11 at Track 30th at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Interested participants can log onto the Nat Geo Earth Day Run website (http://www.natgeoearthdayrun.com/).