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UNICEF Heroes For Children Run

Posted by on 27. October 2015

10K Run for Unicef 1,000 days campaign

  • Date: October 25, 2015
  • Distance: 10K
  • Venue: SM Mall of Asia

I’m starting to love the shorter distance once again as I opted for another 10K Run at the UNICEF’s Heroes for Children Run.  It was Anne Curtis’ first ever 21K run and all the effort for this run goes to the cause of UNICEF’s 1,000 days campaign.  It had the support of about 3,000 runners that included celebrities who even made it to the podium.  Cheers to Anne not only for finishing her first half marathon but for also being an active host for the event and the campaign.

Read About:

UNICEF Heroes for Children Run

Anne not only earned the title of being a half-marathoner, she was the lead heroine in Unicef’s 1,000 days campaign.

I opted for the shorter 10K since I want to make sure that I’d catch the moment when Anne Curtis would cross her first 21K finish line.  I’ve admired Anne as an actress and TV personality but through the UNICEF Heroes for Children Run, I got to see a finer and purer side of Anne.  She has a soft spot for children.  This was also her first fund raiser as a UNICEF Celebrity Advocate and she really wanted to use the run not only to raise funds but also send the message of the importance of 1,000 days of a child’s life, which is from conception to their 2nd birthday.  UNICEF 1,000 days campaign aims to promote access to essential nutrition and health services during the period.  This is a critical window of opportunity within the framework of Early Childhood Care and Development, which provides the foundation to shape a Child’s growth and development with benefits that last well into adulthood.  Anne went all-out for this campaign as she was hands on into every details of the run during the planning, launch and even hosted the post-run festivities of the event.

Anne with UNICEF Philippines Representative Lotta Sylwander.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for children.  In our country, more than 3 million children are stunted. Studies show that many children in the Philippines do not live past their fifth birthday because of under nutrition. This run is where we can all come together as heroes to provide children with the best start in life.  The event is just one of the many I have planned as a UNICEF Celebrity Advocate. It’s a small step in creating a better future for children, but it’s a start of a long fruitful journey towards that,” says Anne Curtis.

This is indeed a start of a journey for both UNICEF and the children towards a better future.  There are also a series of legislative advocacy forums with the House of Representatives and the Senates ongoing.  The aim is to gather support for policies and programs covering essential nutrition and health services, ensuring there are adequately supported, funded, and delivered with quality to every Filipino child the right start to life.

The run featured a 500 meter dash for kids (age 12 and below) aside from the usual 5K, 10K and 21K categories.

” Children have a right to proper growth and development. By investing in early childhood development, we are giving the children and the nation a better and more productive future. We welcome Anne for her dedication and commitment in pushing awareness and support for this important stage of a child’s life, says UNICEF Philippines Representative Lotta Sylwander.

Lotta Sylwander of UNICEF also joined the 5K category of the race. Of course, the cause does not stop after the race and you can check other UNICEF’s programs by visiting www.unicef.ph or call 758-1000 (Mondays to Fridays 9:00 am to 6:00 pm).  The race also had the support of Takbo.PH and Leadpack as Running Partners, SM Mall of Asia, PS Bank, Double Dragon Properties Corporation, Enervon, SM Accessories, Belo Essentials, Cherry Mobile, Jack ‘n Jill. Century Tuna, Toy Kingdom, SM Cares, Gatorade, Dole Philippines, McDonald’s, Teleperformance, Lifeline, Discovery Suites, Crisp on 28th. Sprout, PMX Audio, Philippine Star, Business World, Nyxxyx Philippines Inc and Chris Sports.

Race Route

Race Route is powered by Suunto Ambit 3 Sports and Movescount

Race starts at Palm Coast Avenue and heads towards Seaside Boulevard and Macapagal Boulevard for the first 2 kilometers of the race.  It then heads towards the CCP Area before entering Roxas Boulevard via Vicente Sotto at kilometer 3.  The runners goes through a 2 kilometer stretch in Roxas Boulevard for the u-turn slot at the halfway point of the race in Pedro Gil.  The race then heads back to SM Mall of Asia for the finish.

The Race

I’m starting to enjoy the shorter distance once again. – Photo by Takbo.PH

I went to SM Mall of Asia just in time to catch the gun start of the 21K runners. Since I had time to spare being in the 10K category, I went on to do about 2-3 kilometers worth of warm up.  After a short warm up, I went back to the starting line to catch the pre-race ceremonies, which was hosted by Luis Manzano.  After the ceremonies, it was gunstart at exactly 5:00 AM.

It was a fast start as I got the pace of the first wave of runners, which had a sub 6 minutes per kilometer pace.  It was nice to run fast here because it was flat and there was a lot of leg room to run.  I felt relaxed even when I was pushing myself at a faster pace.  The plan was to run strong for the first 3-4 kilometers and decide to push or to pull at the mid point of the race depending on feel.  I did just that as I went on a straight run with only water breaks for the first 4 kilometers of the race running within the 6-6:30 minutes per kilometer pace as I breezed through Seaside Boulevard, CCP and then the Roxas Boulevard Area.  I extended the effort until the 5th and 6th kilometers where I took my Carbgel upon hitting the water station in the area.

To The Finish – Photo by Flat Ironman

I went on a short run, walk sequence but maintained the fast cadence on the run part to be within the 7 minutes per kilometer pace on the next three kilometers before hitting Seaside Boulevard.  It was a bit more crowded in Seaside Boulevard since I caught some of the 5K runners also finishing the race.  It took more effort as you had to swerve from one side to another just to keep momentum. I shifted to a faster cadence with short stops to catch my breath or to swerve and went on to finish strong at about the 1:07 mark of the race.

Daddy Race Director Jinoe with Junior Race Director Gab.

I’m starting to enjoy the 10K distance once again.  It’s a lot faster and explosive especially when you try to do a fast one.  I was happy that I was in control of my pace the whole race and had enough lung power to finish strong for this one.  I then headed to the media tent for breakfast while awaiting Anne finish her first half marathon.  I did tell her during the launch that I’ll wait for her at the finish line.

And Anne is now approaching the finish line with Erwan Heusaff.

Anne finished her half marathon in about 2 hours and 26 minutes and that was a fast one.  You can just see in her smile how she enjoyed the experience.  She was still full of energy after finishing the race as she also hosted the 500 meter dash for kids as well as hosting the post race festivities.  The 500 meter dash was such a heartwarming scenery as you see kids really enjoying the run.  I was strolling around the route and saw several kids with disability joining the run. It was not easy for them but if they can put in the effort, then you can too.

Anybody can join a run – Photo by Takbo.PH

After the 500 meter dash. Anne went on to host the awarding of winners.  Where does she get all the energy?  Her celebrity friends also did step up for the event with Solenn and Karylle even making the podium of the 10K and 5K categories, respectively.  Anne even sang a song for her fans.  After the program, Anne even joined Lotta in the press con to talk about UNICEF and the race.

And now time for the Selfie with Anne portion.

At the Prescon, Anne shared her first half marathon experience and how she was so nervous at the start of the race and how the cause of UNICEF powered her during the toughest part of the run.  I did ask Anne if she ever wants to run a marathon too.  Well, she’ll nurse her sore muscles first and then think about it later.  One thing is for sure though, UNICEF Heroes for Children Run is here to stay in the running community.  Again, Congrats Anne for finishing your first half marathon.

Outfit Of The Race

  • Race Tee: Berghaus with #TaleOfThetrail Design by Breakout Design
  • Shorts with Compression and Socks: Nike
  • GPS Watch: Suunto Ambit 3 Sports
  • Shoes: Newton Distance IV
  • Visor: Adidas

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