Aspiring to be an essential part of the Filipino's running journey

Running, be it for fitness or competition, has always been a fulfilling activity. The moment we lace up, tread the road, go through our paces and endure the pain that comes with every step, the experience during and after this exercise, gratifies the mind, spirit and body of the runner.

Running has become, not only a way to shed off those calories, but a way to calm our senses and, for some, even a commitment to better one's self, fueling their passion, drive and that sense of achievement.

For HOKA Philippines, they want their products to be an invaluable part of this journey.

Recently, in partnership with running event organizer RunRio, the first leg of the HOKA Trilogy Run Asia gathered more than 8,000 runners at the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City. The event held the 5-km, 10-km and 16-km event categories, with the bulk of the runners participating in the longer distances.

“We want to be part of the running community's journey,” said HOKA Philippines marketing manager, Sharon Salvacion.

“Seeing how many people participated in this event, we're very happy to be part of this trilogy. We see the growth, not just for the brand, but for running in the Philippines,” she added.

Meanwhile, for his part, Rio de la Cruz of RunRio, said that they introduced the trilogy in 2017 for the progressive development of the runners.

“The running scene here in the country has matured throughout the years,” he added.

“For this event alone, 3,600 runners participated in the 21-km category, 2,500 in the 10-km and 2,000 in the 5-km distances, with a total of 8,300 runners. This simply means they have progressed.”

Furthermore, for the succeeding second and third legs of the year, 21-km and 32-km categories, respectively, are to be expected. Here, once they complete the required distance categories, they then get to earn a slot in the 42-km category in the National Finals by the end of the year.

“We want it to be gradual. This prevents injuries, making the journey of these runners to longer distances an enjoyable one,” de la Cruz continued.

Runners share their respective journeys

For Donovan Catindoy, who finished his first-ever Ironman 70.3 competition held in Cebu recently, he recalled how he began his running journey way back in college, eventually progressing as the years went by.

“I've been running for 10 years already, and so far, it has been quite a journey,” he shared.

He also divulged that he has the same sentiment as Rio's with his gradual progression from fun runs going all the way to marathons and triathlon events.

“I started all my fun runs with RunRio. Eventually, I progressed to achieving my first sub-2 hours in the 21km. Recently, I joined my first-ever international 42-km marathon in Dubai.”

On the other hand, for Kristine Santillan, who topped the 10-km female category in another RunRio event recently, her journey in running began in 2016.

She-too-progressed throughout the years until she became a frequent podium-sitter in longer distances, such as in the 16-km and 21-km categories.

"Imagine, before, my coach said I couldn't even last runnng for five minutes. Now, I'm doing marathons already."

“My mindset in running is constantly changing as time passes by. Now, I just want to know how much I can reach in the sport,” she shared.

Santillian was fortunate enough to qualify in another RunRio event and become part of the national team who competed in Singapore last year.

As running partner

For these countless journeys of runners, the shoemaker is offering products that can be essentially part of their venture.

“HOKA has a very good lineup of shoes that can help the runners,” said de la Cruz.

“They have the proper equipment.”

For Salvacion, meanwhile, she said that they constantly innovate their products.

“As of the moment, we have two key products: the Cielo X1 and the Skyward X, which both promise 'A Faster You,” she said.

“Essentially, we just want to take the Filipino's running journey further. Just get active, push boundaries and keep moving forward. Simply,we want more people to enjoy running.”

With this, de la Cruz concluded that since they want to reach more runners as possible, they will also be holding the HOKA running events in Cebu, Baguio and other parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.