By Rey dela Cruz & Maui Daton
AT the very entrance of Manila Bay, in the southwestern part of Luzon, sits the once mighty island of Corregidor, where many lives were lost in defense of the freedom we have the luxury of enjoying now. In its glorious past, Corregidor had a bustling community of soldiers and their families; it had schools, a bank, shops, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a movie theater, hospital, docks and piers, an airfield, a lighthouse and a nine-hole golf course. Of course, it also had one of the most advanced military bases during its time, and was heavily fortified, and was once even the seat of the Philippine government during the war. But all that is now consigned to the yellowed pages of our history books, and all that remains in Corregidor are scarred ruins of its fallen fortresses, and the lingering echoes of the footfalls of the brave men and women who once lived, served and nobly died there.
These days Corregidor has no permanent residents, but only temporary houses people who maintain the facilities and monuments built to accommodate tourists who visit the island throughout the year. Leisurely exploring the many shrines and memorials built to honor those who defended our country in Corregidor, these tourists seem to exemplify the kind of life the island now lives: relaxed, unhurried, restful. Indeed, the island seems to be in a perpetual half-slumber, lulled by the gentle lapping of the waves at its feet, barely aware of the passing of time. This is the kind of atmosphere the island possesses for much of the year, except for one weekend, when it suddenly comes alive, stirred by the arrival of many men and women who go there not to silently contemplate its ruins, or marvel at the stories from its colorful past.
During this weekend, men and women go to Corregidor to test themselves, to prove their worth through a demonstration of courage, resilience and strength. This is no ordinary weekend. This is a weekend of endurance, willpower, vigor and strength of spirit. This is a weekend of survival and amazing feats of human endeavor. For this is the Corregidor Marathon and International Half Marathon weekend, where amateur athletes and running enthusiasts get to experience one of Asia’s toughest race courses.
This year the much-anticipated event happened during the first weekend of March, with hundreds participating in the event’s four race categories: The Corregidor Marathon (CM) and the newly launched 15K Assault on March 4, and the Corregidor International Half Marathon (CIHM) and the 10K race on March 5. Since its commencement in 2010, the annual event has continued to increase in popularity, with many runners returning and bringing their friends and families along. And while the CM and the CIHM routes have essentially stayed the same, the superduo responsible for the event, Edward Kho and lawyer Raymund Martelino, introduced something new and exciting to this year’s event: the 15K Assault.
The 15K Assault is basically your standard 15K distance race—but on steroids. Along the way, runners had to surmount different obstacles, representing the elements of fire, earth and water. They had to crawl inside a dark tunnel, swim under the sea, pass through burning embers and more. For this initial run, the 15K Assault had around 80 registered participants and, based on feedback, those who tried the 15K Assault possibly had even more fun than those who ran the standard race categories. Because of this, this new category could become a staple in the Corregidor races, one that runners can look forward to every year.
This year’s event also saw more runners running the full marathon back-to-back with the half-marathon category, more so than in previous years. Corregidor was also visited this year by its youngest runner so far, a 7-year-old boy who ran and finished the 10K race with his family. These are just testaments to how truly impactful the Corregidor event is for runners who want to better themselves, and for those who want to experience more than just running, and to share that experience with their loved ones.
What’s also different this year is that, since the Corregidor Hotel is still being renovated, many runners got to experience camping for the first time. Corregidor has excellent camping grounds, and first-rate camping gear is available for rent, so camping here actually adds to the overall experience, instead of detracting from it. This year they also provided buffet breakfasts for the runners, which was a plus, since in the previous years, they only had the carbo-loading dinner for the night before the race, and the lunch buffet right after the race.
It was, indeed, a fun-filled weekend for amateur athletes and running enthusiasts, along with their friends and families. A weekend that saw old traditions being carried on, such as the lighting of the torch the night before the half-marathon; and new traditions being started, such as the inclusion of the assault-race category. By the end of the weekend, new race kings and queens were recognized and awarded, new records were set and new memories were created.
Now that the Corregidor races are over, the island is back on its half-slumber, with its ever-reliable stream of tourists visiting, studying and learning about what made the sleeping island formidable in its glory days. Tourists come and go, lightly treading on the rolling hills and ruins of the island, barely making noises that could wake the island up. That is until next year, when the Corregidor races will once again rouse the island as they bring a different kind of visitors. These are the visitors who burn their limits and test themselves in the hallowed grounds of Corregidor. These are the visitors who concern themselves more with the mark that the island will leave on them, not the mark that they will leave on the island. These visitors are ourselves, our families, our friends who, year after year, go back to the island to run the Corregidor races, always leaving the island as better versions of who we once were, looking forward to going back again.