This Sunday’s running adventure was simply as a result of a simple question from one of the new members of Team Bald Runner asking us what is the exact distance/length of EDSA (Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue) which was known before in the 60s to 70s as Highway 54 from Roxas Boulevard to the famous Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan. A decision had been nade to run along the length of the said main thoroughfare in order to find out the exact distance through Garmin watches.
As I posted this running plan in this blog, some of the commenters gave their experiences and estimate of the distance as they had experienced running along the avenue in the past. Another commenter just simply told us what he read in the Wikipedia about EDSA stating that the avenue has a distance/length of 35 kilometers from the SM’s Mall of Asia Roundabout up to the Bonifacio Monumento in Caloocan City. As decided, we knew that EDSA starts at Roxas Boulevard and ends at the Bonifacio Monument. There is only one way to prove the length and that was to run along the road.
And so, at 6:00 AM last Sunday, 04 January 2009, Jonel aka Bugobugo, Lester, Kevin, Dess and I started our run at Roxas Boulevard after a brief stretching and coordinating instructions where to have our “pee & pit stops”. Rico was late and opted to meet us at the Shell Gas Station at the corner of EDSA and Gil Puyat Avenue, 5K distance from where we started.
It appeared that Pasay City has the dirtiest streets and parts of EDSA with all those garbage & trashes scattered along the road and even “homeless” people sleeping along the sidewalk, not to mention those ambulant vendors and unsanitary eateries along the sidewalk. MMDA is not doing a good job at the Pasay City area.
Makati City has the cleanest sidewalk along EDSA. I did not see any garbage or trash or “homeless” people sleeping along the road. I was impressed to see that underneath the Magallanes Flyover has a lot of fountains and garden where people could sit and relax.
The only portion in Mandaluyon City where the sidewalk is dirty is the part at the Shaw Crossing commercial establishment area before we crossed towards the Starmall.
In Quezon City, it is only in Cubao Area where I observed the sidewalk to be dirty and full of ambulant vendors and lots of eateries.
We had our brief breakfast with pancakes at Jollibee Kamias where we had run a distance of 14 kilometers from the start. From the GMA-TV Building to Bonifacio Monumnt was just an easy 10K run for the urban runners.
In the end, we reached our destination, the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City in 2 hours & 37 minutes. My GF 305 registered a distance of 23.94 kilometers. The last leg of our Sunday running adventure was riding the LRT back to where we started. Yes, for so many years that the LRT was operating since the early 80s, it was my first time to board and experience riding an LRT. Jonel and the rest of the Urban Runners, thanks for the experience!
On hindsight, I have the following observations and assessment of the experience of running along EDSA and comparing my impressions how the cities where this avenue passes through administer their respective areas of influence or territory:
1) MMDA—EDSA is supposed to showcase the efficiency of MMDA but it falls short of its objective of showing an orderly, clean, safe, and beautiful Metro Manila. As an authority under the Office of the President that is mandated to administer the different cities in Metro Manila on matters about waste management, security, traffic control, street maintenance, pollution, and other, I could see that MMDA is not exercising its full authority to implement its mission/tasks. MMDA is only seen as efficient along the walls and tall fences of subdivisions of the “elites” along EDSA.
2) Pasay City—This city has never changed its impression to the public. This city still stinks!
3) Makati City—I am glad the City Government is paying back to its constituents in terms of good services and administration from the taxes it gets from the rich residents and corporations located in the said city.
4) Mandaluyong City—Except for the commercial establishments at the Shaw Crossing area, Mandaluyong City is clean and orderly.
5) Quezon City—Cubao Sidewalk is the only eye sore along EDSA.
6) Caloocan City—Central Market is the only place I could see along EDSA that is dirty and where parking of vehicles along the market is not properly supervised by traffic enforcers.
7) I could see that anybody could run or walk along EDSA by using the sidewalk. If you want to save on your gas or money for your fare and let your body perspire, you can run/walk to any place in Metro Manila through EDSA. If you are from Quezon City and your work is at Makati City, you may consider trying to jog to and from your office. Pollution is not a problem as pollution and poor quality of the the air is entirely engulfed on the whole city of Metro Manila. Aboard a Huey Helicopter from Manila to Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City (Nueva Ecija) two years ago, I could see a thick “smog” that covers the whole of Manila to include parts of Bulacan & Laguna. Such “smog” disappears once our helicopter reached Mt Arayat in Pampanga. So, there is no place in Metro Manila where there is no pollution, not even inside your homes, offices and condo units! The said “smog” that I saw two years ago is still there and I think it became thicker and more widespread.
The next question is: How far is the NLEX, from Caloocan to Dau Exit?
Note: Check for more pictures at www.bugobugo85.wordpress.com
Bald Runner 
You must be logged in to post a comment.