So how did the 7-Day Marathon KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012) END?

Related stories: 7-Day Marathon at KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012)
Day 1: 7-Day Marathon KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012)
Here’s to the Crazy Ones: Day 2 of 7-Day Marathon KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012)
If it seems impossible, then it must be worth doing: Day 3 of 7-Day Marathon KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012)
Why run 7-day marathon?: Day 4 & 5 of 7-Day Marathon KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012)
Melancholy: Day 6 of 7-Day Marathon KM 0 Cebu Capitol (Dec. 12-18, 2012)

Set impossible challenges.
Then catch up with them.
– Richard Branson

As if doing marathon for 7 straight days was not hard enough, they chose to run one of the hardest urban route in Cebu City in their last day, which has places with exotic names like Brgy. Pamutan. But still no wacky pose from ‘Melo Ouano.

Nap, Ledoy, Lyra, ‘Melo
Brgy. Pamutan, Cebu City

They shared food, stories, and laughter.

‘Melo and ‘Doy

And the steep uphills and downhills of Brgy. Pamutan / Buhisan were still not enough torture, they ended the 7th day in 9 hours.

 Then, they, Nap and Lyra, got a free shirt from Jacob Ong (KAI Sandals), who probably thought that gifting them shirts was easier than accompanying them in their 7 marathons. =)

Lyra to run for… a shirt!
Photo by John Domingo

They got paparazzi-ed, who also had to act as their support / lighting crew.

John Domingo

Then, they become celebrities!  They were pictured left and right,

Pictorial. Nap, Sunstar photographer, Prince
Photo by John Domingo

interviewed left and right.

Interview with Cheska Geli of Sunstar
Photo by John Doming0

Then, they got their faces and story plastered on the newspaper! All this to tell everyone that there is nothing extraordinary about what they did.

At the end of the day, the 7/42 Club did this not to be treated that they’re extraordinary nor wanted to underrate doing a marathon or any other mind-boggling activities but to show us: (kindly refer to the following excerpts from Sunstar article by Cheska Geli)

Sun.Star Cebu
19 Dec 2012
To conquer marathon, dela Torre advises viewing it as like any other race that require willpower.

As many people revered it to be a lifetime achievement or a personal goal, for Dela Torre it’s an ordinary achievement.

“Dili dapat murag extraordinary ang tan-aw sa marathon because it is something you can achieve if kaya nimo,” he said.

“It should not be extraordinary because the fact that we were able to do it for seven days means that it can just be a regular activity,” he added.

The more the people treat it highly means that people would dwell on the limitations rather than potentials.

As for Valles, who already finished several ultra races, she was surprised that her body was able to adapt to the one-week marathon grind and felt well as if she had not run a 42K race in the morning.

“Lingaw kaayo. There was less pressure in running and it was nice to run,” she said.

via 7 days, 7 marathons | Sun.Star.

(Note: When I shared this story on facebook, I got a few comments about how they’re concerned with the negative side-effects of this activity. Those are definitely valid statements. And, yes please do take them into account before deciding going for this kind of activity. But also do not forget to see the positive side effects of it.)

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But, was it really the end of the 7-day marathon???

Photo by John Domingo

I right away accepted the invitation of Nap for a get-together last night as I wanted to have a “fan pic” with each of them and listen to bits of their stories.

* I was expecting to hear traumatic experience, and the usual “I’ll-never-do-this again” sob stories of runners or that was the last ever 7-day marathon they’d ever do.

Unfortunately, I was DISAPPOINTED! Everyone was already talking about a marathon they will do before the Cebu City Marathon 2013, and the marathons or above they will do after the CCM. I didn’t even hear much about injuries and pains and woes.

* They’re talking about the 7/42 Club they will pursue. It kind of made me think which is good: only Lyra and Nap will be members of it or there will be more members? I’m kinda hoping that a Lyra-and-Nap tandem will be enough. The rest can just remain less crazy. =)

But watch out for a 7-day marathon in Bohol by Doc Brandon??? (See his comment here >>)

* They talk about their future activities: from 7-day half-marathon to 3-day circumnavigating Cebu. The next thing we’ll know they’ll be circumnavigating each of the 7, 107 islands of Philippines.

Hopefully, an edition will come when finally “melo Ouano will give us a wacky pose!

* And, HK Vibram 100 will never be the same, to me, once you’d hear Joel Garganera’s poo-ey story not once but four times on the route.  You just make Cebuanos proud! =)

For more pics, please check here >>.

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We’d love to hear runner’s stories, please share them with us or message us at facebook.com/runroo, or twitter.com/gorunroo.

We’re also building something, we hope to invite you soon at aktib.ph — this will be our “impossible.” Feedback is welcome!