The following are the instructions for the 2011 BDM 160 “Test” Run:

1. The Test Run is FREE but all the participants will be issued their respective Race Bib at the Assembly Area. Race Bibs are issued for accounting and documenting purposes.

2. The Run will start at the Old Railway Station/BDM Km Post #102 in San Fernando, Pampanga. Assembly Time will be at 5:00 PM of Saturday, January 29, 2011. The run will start immediately as soon as the participants will be processed and accounted for.

3. From the BDM Km Post #102, runners will proceed at the northern back portion of the Railroad Building Station and take the cemented road that goes on easterly direction. There will be a High School along the way on both sides of the road while you can see on your far right side the Iglesia Ni Kristo Church which is located along the MacArthur Highway. Proceed to MacArthur Highway and then turn left.

4. As you hit the MacArthur Highway, all the runners must be going to the north direction. Take note of the Highway Kilometer Posts; signages; and traffic directions. You must be going towards Angeles City! If you are going towards Manila or going South, that means you are going in the opposite direction!

5. Just follow the MacArthur Highway all the way to Angeles City; then to Mabalacat; Bamban and finally to the municipality of Capas, Tarlac. If you are running facing the traffic, you will observe that all the provincial passenger buses have the following words on their left windshields—MANILA; CUBAO; EDSA! If you see these words on these buses, then you are in the right direction! Runners are highly encouraged to run on the left side of the Highway, facing the traffic. The MacArthur Highway is a busy road with all types of vehicles and runners are warned to be extra careful and vigilant on their surroundings.

6. As the run will be done at nighttime, each runner must be responsible to bring their headlamp and/or handheld flashlight. Runner must be visible always on the road and it is advisable that runners should wear apparel with reflectorized tapes or fabric. Reflectorized vest would be advisable.

7. Runners will be allowed to have their “pacer” on this test run. Pacers should not be made as “mules” by their runner. However, a single-file formation among runners is highly encouraged.

8. Runners are allowed to be self-supported or self-contained in this test run. However, this will not be allowed during D-Day. Runners are also advised to bring with them their First Aid Kits.

9. Support Vehicles are advised (again!) to “leap-frog” their runners.

10. Once you enter the Municipality of Capas, you have to pass Jollibee and the Municipal Market and proceed all the way to the road that leads to the town of Concepcion. You will see a Y-road intersection—left direction goes to Tarlac City while the right direction goes to Concepcion. Take the right direction and on your left will be a CALTEX Gas Station while on the right is a MCDONALD Fastfood establishment.

11. In about 150 meters from the Y-intersection, turn left on the first road that you see. On the right side of that road, you can see the Historical Marker and Stone of the BDM Shrine. This was the site of the old Railway Station in Capas, Tarlac. This was the place where the POWs who survived the Bataan Death March alighted from the train’s boxcarts and where they started to march again for another 6-7 kilometers to their final destination—Camp O’Donnell POW Concentration Camp. The runners will see a BDM Kilometer Post near the Marker/Shrine.

12. As runners would pass this Marker & Shrine, they will run along this road going west and later cross the busy McArthur Highway. Everybody should be extra careful in crossing the Highway. Runners will follow this road until they reach the intersection of the paved/cemented road that goes to Camp O’Donnell. Runners should turn right once they reach this road. There will be BDM Km Post Markers on the right side of the road.

13. Once the runners approach the Gate of the Capas National Shrine, they have to pass the gate on their way to Barangay Sta Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. Runners have to reach Km Post #91 which is located directly in front of the UN Peacekeeping Building inside the Training and Doctrine Command of the Philippine Army. Runners would turn-around as they reach Km Post #91 and proceed back to the Gate of the Capas National Shrine.

14. Runners will enter the Gate and run another 500 meters towards the foot of the Shrine’s Obelisk/Monument which will be the location of the Finish Line of BDM 160.

On my last note, if you have forgotten where the BDM Km Post #102 is located, please try to recall how and where you finished your BDM 102 Ultramarathon Race! If you can not recall anymore, please locate the Pampanga’s Provincial Capitol and you will see that narrow street where you had your last 100-meter dash to finish the race!

Good luck! See you on Saturday afternoon!