SERIOUS and recreational runners are in for another one-of-a-kind experience as around 600 entries from all over the country take part tomorrow in the 3rd Laoag Sand Dunes Challenge serving as one the highlights of the Pamulinawen Festival in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
The race is a brainchild of Laoag City Mayor and former Project: Gintong Alay executive director Michael Keon, who conceived the event to boost sports tourism in the Ilocos Norte provincial capital.
Staged over the rolling sand dunes overlooking the West Philippine Sea, events to be staged are in 5K and 10LK distances, with a separate 5K run for children, according to Keon, who is seeking reelection as the mayor of the progressive city.
The men’s and women’s 10K champions will each receive finisher’s shirts and P15,000 apiece in the competition to be held in Barangay La Paz, with last year’s women’s titlist, former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Christine Hallasgo, tipped to return and retain her crown the third time around.
“This is a sports tourism event of the city aimed at attracting visitors not just for the event but to see what Laoag City has to offer,” said Keon, whose city will serve as the main hub of the national Palarong Pambansa set after the May 12 polls.
