Q&A with founder and race director Edward Kho
Running is also a good way to provide a suitable work-life balance, giving runners a healthy way to reduce work-related stress and improve their lifestyle. In fact many companies now have their own teams who participate in various running and other fitness events throughout the country. A good example is Team BusinessMirror, comprised of BusinessMirror employees and their families and friends who share a common interest in and enthusiasm for running, as well as hiking, biking, and swimming.
Now as runners get fitter, their bodies naturally look for more difficult challenges in running. Thus, more difficult races were established to cater to this demand. In 2010, one of the most challenging races in the Philippines was born. The Corregidor International Half Marathon (CIHM).
In 2014, an even more difficult race debuted on Corregidor Island. The much talked-about Corregidor Marathon (CM), which is the race that has been called Asia’s toughest marathon.
Corregidor Island is the perfect venue for races as difficult as CIHM and CM. Its mountainous terrain naturally lends itself to routes that are tougher and more challenging. Not only that, Corregidor Island has very picturesque mountain and beach sceneries that will make any race enjoyable no matter how difficult. It is also fitting since it takes a lot of courage to run CM and CIHM, and we all know that courage is one of the noble virtues that the island itself stands for.
Team Business Mirror has been participating in the Corregidor races since 2012.
We caught up with CIHM and CM founder and race director Edward Kho, and he provided us with interesting facts about the Corregidor races.
-  How did CIHM start? The CIHM started in 2010, December 19 to be exact. Atty. Raymund Martelino and I came up with the idea after he took part in a race held there where I was the race director but I wasn’t the race organizer. That race didn’t go well in terms of execution and logistics. I was clobbered in the social media. I wanted to make a big come back from it and make it up with all its participants so I discussed it with him. From there, the CIHM was born.
- What were the categories on the first year? How many runners participated for each category? There was only one distance category in that inaugural edition of the CIHM. There were 343 race participants. In 2011, we added another distance category, the 10K Challenge. This we retained the following year. When CM was instituted, aside from the 42K full marathon, there were the 5K Blitz and 3K Thrill. This year, it was decided that the 3K Thrill be done away with being too similar to the 5K Blitz personality.
- What made you decide to start the CM? In 2013, after having staged the CIHM for three years, and with the growing population of runners who seek a bigger challenge, we in the organizing team relented to the public demand to stage a marathon in Corregidor. This paved the way for the 1st Corregidor Marathon, supposedly on Dec 2013 but got moved to January 2014 because typhoon Yolanda.
- Who designs the finisher’s medals? Ever since the 1st CIHM, there’s only one artist who designs our finishers’ medals. He is John Bermejo, a colleague from an ad agency I used to work with. He’s exceptional when it comes to logo and merchandise designing. He’s also the one who designs both the event posters and merchandising collaterals of the CIHM. When CM was created, it was his protégé’s turn to design for its visuals and derivative applications.
- Are there any charities that are currently being supported by CIHM and CIM? There’s technically no charitable institution that neither the CIHM nor the CM directly support. However, we consider Corregidor Foundation, Inc. as our main beneficiary, part of the registration fees of all race participants are paid to CFI for the island entrance fee.
- Who designed the race routes for the 21K and 42K? Being the race director, it is me who designs and plots the race route of both the CIHM and CM.
- Did you participate in any of the previous year’s races? Or was it your first time to run the races this year? On hindsight, I realized that I only participated in the odd-numbered edition of the CIHM: that is the first, the third, and this year’s fifth edition. For the CM, this was my first and I think my last because I need to get myself dedicated to being a sprinter again as a full time masters athlete.
- How did you feel after finishing the Marathon this year? Embarrassing, as it may seem, I would admit I wept even before I stepped on the finish line. It was automatic. I’m not a melodramatic person. I guess it’s because of gratitude that I was able to drag myself to finish and also I had the opportunity to run on the sacred grounds of Corregidor. But honestly, it’s also because the race was truly punishing and excruciating.
- What can runners look forward to in the coming years? Each year, we don’t run out of surprises for all our participants. As a learning point from this year’s edition, for the CM, we will be including in all aid stations salt sticks, solid food, and ample liniments. For the CIHM, we’ll come up with another kind of surprise. We will be bringing back the top 10 citations for all distance categories, as well.
-  Do you have any special message for the past and future participants of the Corregidor races? Corregidor is gift to us runners from our gallant predecessors. We need to honor and celebrate what it represents. To all our past and repeat participants—Corregidor alums—we whole-heartedly thank you for the support for the two races in the island. We are also encouraging all Corregidor alums to be ambassadors for Corregidor. We hope that they will tell their friends and other people not just about CIHM and CM, but also of the importance of Corregidor and how unique the island is. For those who want or are planning to participate in either the CIHM or CM, it is imperative to train well, prepare for its challenges, and respect the distance and the island’s legacy.
(Story by Rey dela Cruz w/ Maui Daton | Photos by Noriel de Guzman)
Team BusinessMirror (TBM) has been running in the Corregidor races since 2012. Members of the team placed in the Top 10 of the 21-km category and 5-km Blitz in 2013, as well as in the top 5 of the 42-km category in 2015. Officially established on October 18, 2011, TBM is comprised of BusinessMirror employees and their families and friends sharing a common interest in and enthusiasm for running, hiking, biking and swimming. Members include competitive and casual runners, hikers, and ultra/trail-marathon runners. You may follow us on Twitter, Instagram and “Like” our page on Facebook via TeamBM.Â
Image credits: Noriel de Guzman