I am dedicating this post to Kim O’Connell of the Fort Striders Club who, together with her husband Patrick, hosted a Christmas Dinner last month to runner-bloggers in her residence in Metro Manila. Kim, after finishing the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon last 7 December 2008, had told me that she is seriously considering of joining this first ultramarathon race event to commemorate the famous Bataan Death March where it really happened.  

The following pictures will show a glimpse of what to expect and see along the route of the Bataan Death March:

Last 27 December 2008, I went to Mariveles, Bataan in order to trace the actual route of the famous Bataan Death March. Mariveles is 164 kilometers away from Manila and it took me two hours and half to reach the memorial shrine & park where Km 00 marker is located. The park is located adjacent to Mariveles Jollibee and the Municipal Hall. Inside the shrine/park are two big metal plaques/markers from the National Historic Institute where the story of the event is inscribed. The markers are flanked with the flags of the United States and the Philippines.

Out of the total 70,000 prisoners of war (POW),  about 10,000 were US forces and the rest were Filipino defenders/soldiers who were all forced to walk from Mariveles & Bagac, Balanga, Bataan  to San Fernando, Pampanga.

This is Km 00 marker and the actual route of the Death March is properly marked with this kind of structure from Mariveles to San Fernando, Pampanga to Camp O’Donnell, Capas Tarlac. This marker is located on the right side of the road as one goes from Mariveles to San Fernando, Pampanga.

This is the 1st kilometer of the route. The first seven kilometers and half is an uphill climb to traverse a mountain and the rest of the route to Hermosa, Bataan (Km 65) has a rolling terrain.

This Km 8 post/marker is located infront of a residential house. This was the only km post where I saw two flagpoles on its sides. On the back of eash post along the route is an inscription/dedication of one of the fallen heroes of the Death March and the specifc person or organization who sponsored/supported the construction of the said marker.

I was surprised to see that FAME (Filipino-American Memorial Endowment)  was the one that constructed these obelisk kilometer markers and presently maintaining them. FAME is under the auspices of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

This is Km 101 which is the 2nd to the last Km marker before reaching the old San Fernando Railway Station (Finish Line of the Ultramarathon Event) where the prisoners boarded a train to Capas, Tarlac. I was surprised that this is the only post which is painted with blue color. Take note that beside the Km marker is a waiting shed which is almost buried due to the lahar from Mt Pinatubo’s eruption.

The “trial run” for this ultramarathon event for participants will be on 22 February 2009 (Sunday) which will start in Balanga, Bataan (vicinity Km 50) to the Finish Line, covering a distance of 52 kilometers. Details of this “group/trial run” will be announced later in this blog. 

To all the participants of this ultramarathon event, I suggest you start running under the heat of the sun, preferably during noon time! Good luck on your training!