Grain Quality staff, family, and friends join the 34th Milo Marathon =)

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The 34th Nat'l Milo Marathon Manila elims
July 4, 2010
Roxas Blvd (starting at Km 0)

Fe got the details and provided the registration forms. Dara and I once again submitted the papers on the day of the deadline; but this time, the queues were so long!! But no matter... I'm sure that the high turn-out during the registration period will make a lot of children  happy with spanking new green rubber shoes!!

The Grain Quality running "team" has ballooned from four (during the Walk the World event) to 12! That's because our walk has generated interested within the lab and with family. 

Today, the GQNPC runners were Jun, Ferdie, Ana, Lucy, Crystal, Fe, Dara, and me. Cindy, from CESD, was in the group as well. Dara was with her brother, Jorem; Riz and Evelyn, Fe's husband and sister, also joined the run. All of us registered for the 5k fun run. 

NOTE: 5k is a non-competitive category, and most of us just wanted to finish the race in under an hour. Participants who didn't finish within the time limit didn't get a certificate (and after all that effort too!).

The Milo Marathon is the biggest running event I've been to so far. Driving to Manila was a breeze, because we were on the road before dawn. However, the sheer number of participants and the rerouting along Quirino Ave. made the last leg of the drive challenging. For me, the competition began even before we started running. I had to up my defensive driving skills in Manila's narrow streets and we had to get parking spots fast. On the race route itself, I had to dodge my way to the finish line because we were literally running in a sea of green-shirted participants.

Overall, it's a great event. I enjoyed running on Roxas Blvd. immensely. The timing was great too. I'm considering this event my big belated-happy-birthday run (complete with a post-run birthday brunch with cake!). What a way to cap off my birthday week.

=)

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