Variety is the spice of life, and the same is true for runners, who also like to mix things up in regard to their routine and their training. This need for variation extends all the way to the events and competitions in which runners participate.
To
satisfy different quirks and fancies, event organizers have explored a
multitude of ways to keep the running community on their toes. This includes
running competitions with added obstacles, on off-road tracks and, most
recently, holding races at night.
Competitive
racing in the dead of night certainly adds a different dimension to the running
experience. Being enveloped by darkness requires runners to be more sensitive
to the slightest conditions on the road, demanding complete focus and undivided
attention. Preparations in the run-up to competition also vary. Training
regimen, as well as prep time, tend to differ, too, which only adds to the challenge.
Local
runners have already had the pleasure of trying out night races through
different competitions already hosted here in the Philippines. This night race
craze, however, started in 2011 with one event, the Energizer Night Race.
That
race was part of Energizer’s bigger initiative called the “Energizer Night Race
for a Brighter World”, a series of nighttime running events held around the
world including countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America, and
throughout Asia. Over 75,000 participants joined the more than 30 Energizer
Night Races held in 20 countries across the globe.
The
magnitude of the event’s success, transcended more than mere numbers. This
global night race has served as an effective vehicle in raising awareness of the
world’s need for safe, clean, and affordable solar lighting. “It’s hard to
believe that in this day and age that there are still around 1.3 billion people
deprived of electricity and clean lighting,” says Energizer’s Brand Manager,
Joan Mendoza. “This event is just one way in which Energizer can bring this
issue forth and be addressed for the benefit of less fortunate communities all
over the world.”
Running
at night guided only by Energizer LED Headlamps, runners get a sense of how
important light is. Usually taken for granted in developed areas, light and
clean energy are extremely valuable in off-the-grid communities. They dictate a
child’s capacity to learn, an adult’s ability to work, and the community’s maximum
functionality. They also help promote personal health and the environment by lessening
carbon emissions made by alternative light sources such as candles, kerosene
lamps, and firewood.
The
need for efficient and eco-friendly lighting has led Energizer to partner with
One Million Lights (OML), a nonprofit organization that shares the same goal of
providing rural communities around the world with the gift of light. Since
2011, Energizer and OML have donated 23 million hours’ worth of light through
Energizer Solar-Powered LED flashlights and lamps to different remote
communities in Latin America, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the Philippines.
Energizer’s
efforts to put the issue of light and energy in perspective are part of their “That’s Positivenergy™” campaign that
serves as the company’s platform to show its commitment to performance and responsibility.
This means providing consumers with durable and energy efficient products for
everyday needs.
Running has been an effective way of gathering
the public’s support for worthy causes, from community health and fitness to
environmental advocacies. By immersing runners in the kind of situations
individuals in remote, off-the-grid communities go through, the company hopes
participants look beyond the event and appreciate and support what it stands
for.
To alleviate the lack of energy and light in far-flung
communities, Energizer again strengthens its drive by calling out running and
fitness enthusiasts to join in the cause by participating in this year’s
Energizer Night Race Manila. The race will be held on May 4, 2013 at the
Bonifacio Global City in Taguig with the help of partners GMA Network and
Schick.
Registration is on-going until
April 30, 2013 at BROOKS SM North EDSA, RUNNR Bonifacio High Street, and Toby’s
Sports EDSA Shangri-la, Glorietta, and SM Mall of Asia. For more information
about the race, visit www.energizerglobalnightrace.com.
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| mommy dorry |
