The Philippines is becoming a running destination as more international visitors register for race events.
The heat and the humidity were no doubt the biggest challenges they had to face. But these runners embraced it while experiencing something different, such as the sights as well as racing in the dark.
Just this August, foreigners from 16 countries were part of the 19,000-strong contingent which competed in the Galaxy Manila Marathon at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds.
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Heat and humidity
The biggest challenge for most of the foreign runners—who hailed from Japan, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, China, France, Switzerland, South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Thailand, Canada, and Poland—was the tropical heat, combined with the high humidity.
"It was warm, definitely warm, but the water stations were good," noted Luke Prendergast of Ireland, who competed in the 21K event. "Yeah, the heat is very hard. It's like, you try to drink water, but it's hard to run and drink water."
While he's not a stranger to running, having participated in US marathons and even played football, it was certainly an experience.
Still, Prendergast finished third in the 30-34 age category for men with a gun time of 1:21:02, or a pace of 3:50/km. Not too bad for his first half marathon in the Philippines.
For the 61-year-old David Miles of the United Kingdom, the mindset was just to accept and be ready for whatever happens.
"The temperature was something we all had to deal with. I don't think it was any easier for a Filipino than it was for a European person like me," Miles told One Sports. "I've got to say, the last couple of days here have been quite favorable, and then all of a sudden, the day of the race, the humidity gets higher and the temperature gets higher."
A veteran runner and a native in Bali, Indonesia, Miles topped the podium in the 60-64 age category for men in the 42K with a gun time of 3:31:34 or an average pace of 5:00/km.
He also shared his mindset when it comes to training in all kinds of conditions.
"You've got to go out, you've got to train in all weathers, because you can never pick the weather on race day," he said. "So if it's hot, train. If it's raining, train. If it's snowing, train. You know, be prepared."
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Hello darkness, my friend
The humidity was a familiar one for German runner Katharina Stiller, who is based in Hong Kong.
"Always super humid, especially in the summer," she shared. "It was really nice. It was also dark."
Still, it didn't seem Stiller was bothered at all as she finished second in the 18-24 age category for females with a gun time of 4:16:34 in the 42K.
For Prendergast, who was used to running at daylight in the US, starting very early in the morning was a different experience.
In the Philippines, fun runs often start from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. This isn't just to avoid heatstrokes, but to ensure there won't be obstacles from vehicle traffic.
"The streets are kind of dark, so you're trying to watch your step as well, I guess," he noted. But he welcomed the encouragement of those who were at the sidelines.
"There's maybe people cheering at these things, because it's not at a normal time, you know. Maybe 7, 8, 9 a.m. Versus here, it's like 4 a.m., so it's a bit different, right?"
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Best sunrise sight
They registered here for various reasons: they wanted to experience running in the country for the first time, they wanted to quality for an event, they were encouraged by a friend, they were enticed by the advertising.
But they all came away with quite an impression regarding the sights.
About 3,000 of those took part in the 42K race which traversed a scenic route around the major thoroughfares like Roxas Blvd. and Buendia Ave., as well as some of the capital’s historic sites like the Rizal Park and the walled city of Intramuros.
One of them was 57-year-old Chiharu Fujishiro of Japan, who finished second in the 55-59 age category for females with a gun time of 5:15:10 or a pace of 7:25/km.
"I want to see Manila," she quipped, smiling.
"I liked doing it Intramuros, to see the National Museum, all the sights. So it was a really good sights, and challenging to do it at night," shared Xavier Foulquier of France, who is based in Manila while working for UNICEF.
He finised seventh in the 45-49 age category for men with a time of 1:46:40 or an average pace of 5:03/km.
"It's a great sport to do. Wherever you are, you can just see beautiful sights and discover new places. That's what I like, the freedom to go anywhere," he told One Sports. "I travel a lot. And wherever you travel, you can run, discover new places and see the local sights. That's why I keep doing it."
Having almost 300 international visitors for the event, organizer RUNRIO made sure they saw it all.
"So, we are very happy that they are here. I saw them, we invited them to be in the Wave 1. So that they can experience the hospitality of the Filipino," RUNRIO president and CEO Rio de la Cruz told reporters.
Expect more visitors to compete in the near future, as RUNRIO launched the Philippine Marathon Majors, which features eight major marathons starting in 2026.
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It's certainly a great way to keep going.
"I always sign up for another race, so I always keep training," Stiller shared.
"You get outside to run, it's nice. It's a nice way to explore cities as well," Prendergast added.
"It's good for the mind. It's good for the soul. It's good for mental health, you know," Miles said.
Katrina Alba is a sports journalist and producer, notably with SportsCenter Philippines before taking on her current role at One Sports.
She primarily writes about basketball and volleyball, with experience covering the SEA Games, Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. Outside of work, her hobbies include running, swimming, pickleball, yoga, arnis, and krav maga.