711, that ubiquitous convenience store, had its very first road race to celebrate the opening of its 800th store in the Philippines. The event was marred by months of delays, non-responsiveness of their social media team, and troublesome pre-race issues. Despite this, thousands still turned up on a cold and breezy Manila morning to be the first runners on a brand new running route in the Philippines.
711 Run 800 Review
This road race was originally slated for last year, but numerous delays – including a section of the running route which was then unfinished – postponed it to January 2013. This was the first of many negative sentiments on social media the 711 Run 800 organizers would receive.
The Very Bad
Months of delay are never good things for any sort of event. With road races and runs, it can be a real annoyance for long-distance runners as it affects both the training calendar and race schedules, respectively.
On the 711 Run 800 Facebook Page, the page administrators weren’t helpful either. They were either very selective of the queries which they answered, or blatantly ignored most. As a social media marketer, I can personally say that the event’s Facebook Page was very poorly managed, perhaps one of the worst I’ve seen this year.
The race kit claiming was also, quite literally, the most troublesome experience in the world. With hundreds of 711 branches nationwide (and the chosen distribution centers for race kits) I could already foresee the logistical nightmare this would – and did – bring about. Suggestion to the organizers: Please partner with (a few) running stores next time.
The Not-So-Good
Other than pre-race hang-ups, the run was pleasantly good (more on that later). Perhaps the only thing I didn’t enjoy about the race was that there were some sections which were pitch-black. These areas were also the unpaved stretches, so understandably, many runners slowed down a little for safety.
The Very Good
The 711 Run 800 route was at the CAVITEX, the newest ‘super highway’ in the country. It was a very nice long and straight stretch of road, with gentle inclines on the uphill sections and well-lit roads. The 11th and 12th kilometer sections were relatively distanced from the main city centers of Manila – which meant stars were a lot easier to see. At 530am, this was a beautiful sight.
Hydration was virtually raining for the runners; there was Pocari Sweat sports drink at the first half of the route and Gatorade at the latter. I probably missed the stations with Powerade (I noticed that the 21k race singlet was sponsored by Powerade).
I’m not really ‘hungry’ for loot bag stuff, but I did see some runners with packed bags; everything from magazines to bottles of sports drinks and bananas. I’ll keep my thoughts to myself on this one.
Finally, it was great to hit off a PR-setting run with a core-focused warm-up routine led by none other than Noelle “Kikayrunner” de Guzman, fitness coach and runner-blogger.
All in all, the 711 Run 800 was a decent run on a fast route. I believe that the run and its subsequent giveaways and loot bags were to make up for the event’s initial shortcomings. I speak for myself when I say that I believe the organizers have redeemed themselves.
Were you at the 711 Run 800? Do share your experiences in the comments and share this article if you enjoyed it!
