Before I left for the United States, Captain Ferdie Espejo told me that our runners in the Philippine Army would like to run in the TNF 100 and they were looking for sponsors who would support them in terms of registration fees, support and miscellaneous expenses. So, I told him that I am willing to support and finance their entry and participation in the said event with the condition that the runners will carry the name of Bald Runner and they will bring home what ever prizes they would earn or win. I wanted the runners to win and get the cash prizes for their respective families and for themselves. Thus, the BR’s Team was born. (Do you think the AFP or the Philippine Army or the PSC/NSA or any corporate entity will give support for these runners with two weeks to go before the race?)
The BR’s Team entered three (3) runners in the 100K Solo Run—Mamerto Corpuz, Esmeraldo Ondoy, and Ellen Tolentino; and one team for the 100K Relay Run consisting of Cresenciano Sabal and Reynaldo De Los Reyes. Three (3) of our runners registered in the 20K and 10K events.
Our BR Team won 1st Runner-Up (2nd Place) in the 100K Team Relay (Cresenciano Sabal & Reynaldo De Los Reyes); Mamerto Corpuz won Third Place in the 100K Solo Race; Esmeraldo Ondoy won Fifth Place in the 100K Solo Race; while Ellen Tolentino was the Female Champion in the 100K Solo Race and Seventh (7th) Overall; Ailene Tolentino also won as the Female Champion in the 10K Trail Race.
The BR’s Runners brought home five (5) Belt Medallions; P 5,000 worth of Gift Check and P 50,000 Check to be encashed this Friday. All of these prizes went to the runners. Spending Eleven Thousand Pesos (P 11,000.00) to these elite runners was a worthy investment for their effort, experiences, and the belt medallions/cash prizes they received.
I was happy to receive the news about how the BR’s Team runners’ accomplishments in the TNF 100 from Captain Espejo (who was constantly sending me text messages) and from the other runner-bloggers who joined the race. I was happier with the thought that I was made to be “an instrument” for these deserving elite runners to experience ultra trail running with the prestigious The North Face as the main sponsor.
The following pictures were taken by Captain Espejo which he sent through e-mail to recap his report to me on the said race:
Eighty-four (84) ultra trail runners for the 100K Solo run and 100K Team Relay run started the TNF 100 Race at 7:30 AM on 26 July 2008 with team runners from Singapore and Hong Kong.
There they go!
Cresenciano Sabal (right) and Reynaldo De Los Reyes (middle) won 1st Runner-Up in the 100K Team Relay Run finishing 12 minutes behind the Champion Team. They received P 15,000 check as their cash prize.
Esmeraldo Ondoy receiving his Belt Buckle Medallion for finishing 5th Place in the 100K Solo Run
The BR’s Team with their prize and the our BR’s Tarp
Captain Espejo (left) as the Team Manager of the Bull Runner’s Events Team
BR’s Team Members: From left: Quisay (BR support staff); Ondoy (5th Place 100K Solo Run); Sabal (2nd place 100K Team Relay Run); Ellen Tolentino (Female Champion 100K Solo Run & 7th Overall); Ailene Tolentino (Female Champion 10K Run); De Los Reyes (2nd Place 100K Team Relay Run); and Corpuz (3rd Place 100K Solo Run)
Bald Runner 
Congrats to your Team!
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This blog is a testament to the generosity of your spirit! There is definitely a lesson here for all of us. It is inspiring how you are able to touch and change so many lives simply by doing what you love… and doing it well!
Am I glad we’ve got your Warrior Spirit on the side of good! 🙂
Congratulations to Team Bald Runner! Awesome job, guys!
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congrats to your team! btw, is the BR events office in Pasig?
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jinoe, thanks for the comment & visit.
mesh, thanks for the nice comment. the vision of this blog is to help and be able to inspire others to do their best they can while we are still alive. we have to enjoy life at its fullest but we should remember to help others, too! your posts in your blog are really AWESOME & inspiring, too, i really like your stories. good luck & happy running!
bards, thanks! yes, we just established our “semi-permanent” office in pasig where my staff could meet and for our “communication hub”. congratulations again for finishing your first trail run at TNF 100 race. good luck on your marathon training–“don’t run too much too soon”. happy running!
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Congrats for Team BR at TNF! See you Sunday!
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Sir,
It would really be great if the experiences of each of the 100k runners be posted here. I really want to read about how they trained and how they overcame this obstacle physically and mentally. It’s really no ordinary feat. 🙂 Congratulations once again to Team Baldrunner. 🙂 I’ll train hard to be able to join your team someday. ^^
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Dear Apo Baldrunner,
It’s so nice to see the Team Baldrunner dominated again another running event. These guys are really great. Actually some of them I knew personally, trained with them, being coached by them, even drank with them. Being with them can drastically improve a runner’s performance. I was amazed by their training regimen. Most of their programs are not found in the running magazines or books. About a month ago after a local race, we had a drinking celebration (for them, this is a familiar scene after races). We had a a good time, some of them others won’t believe are also good singers. Their war stories (races) local and international are awesome as well. Then we came to the sentimental part of our conversation. I learned that some of them really wanted to augment their earnings apart from their salaries and cash winnings. Some of them are really having the difficulty in making both ends meet. Then they suggested personal coaching. They are willing to coach runners who wanted to improve their performances for a reasonable amount. I think that could be done without prejudice to official duties and without affecting the athletes’ performances.I am sure there are a lot of newbie and intermediate runners who wanted to be competitive in our sports.Why don’t we introduce them to our local elites? Most of our runners are self-coached, but being guided by the elites would make a big difference. Thank you Sir for your intercession…
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wayne, thanks! these elite runners need the much-needed support and exposure to this kind of running event which was one of the “first” of TNF in the country.
aldz, these runners really train hard & do “doubles” (mornings & late afternoons) almost everyday in the mountains of Tanay, Rizal. their support is not adequate (exposures, special coaching, nutrition & diet), and their income/regular pay could hardly support their training and family needs. please read the comment of fuerza armada. i’ll be posting ultra running training schedules soon & hope you can join us in our br’s ultra events soon!
fuerza armada, it is one of the plans of BR’s Events to provide personal coaching to newbies and intermediate runners as well as the youths using these elite runners. watch out for our free running clinics and seminars soon. thanks for the nice comment again. don’t worry, i will try my best to help these athletes by sponsoring them to join races with cash prizes. happy running!
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Hi sir, just wanna ask. Does your team also join other track and field tournaments such as 100 m dash, high jump, etc? I really want to participate in these athletics events, I just don’t know how.. I used to run competitively way back in high school and college has been a big pressure academically I was unable to pursue this passion of mine. By the way, Cresencianoi Sabal is an acquantance back in la salle. Is there any way I can contact him since I believe he’s one of your team members. More power! God bless 🙂
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adrian, my team is focused on long distance road races–10K to ultramarathon and i suggest you contact PATAFA (Phil Amateur Track & Field Association) for their track & field events. if you want to contact cres sabal, please send a txt message to captain ferdie espejo on this cellphone number—09176232611 or call him at landline–(02)-4961014. thanks for the comment.
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