This year’s Bayer Rogin-E Last Man Running 2 (held last March 22 in Bonifacio Global City), lived up to its reputation as one of the country’s most physically demanding and merciless ultra-marathons. It lived up to its name as well, claiming all but one of a hundred of the country’s most battle tested distance runners. This year’s Rogin-E Last Man Running proved to be Bicolano and veteran marathon runner Mario Maglinao, or as he is aptly known among hardcore distance runners locally, Super Mario. Super Mario’s victory is all the sweeter because this year’s grand prize from Rogin-E is an all expense paid trip to China, to participate in the world renowned “Great Wall Marathon”.
Unlike conventional marathons or even ultra-marathons that are defined by a fixed distance, Rogin-E’s Last Man Running is time bound. Contestants have to run for six hours at a fixed minimum pace. Should they fall too far behind the race pace, they are automatically eliminated. At the start of the 7th hour, it becomes a footrace for those (the few) still in the running. Thanks to a faster pace (compared to the first Rogin-E Last Man Running in 2011) and an especially hot morning sun, only Super Mario toed the line for the seventh hour of running, making him literally: the Last Man Running.
Unlike the first staging of the Rogin-E’s Last Man Running in 2011, this year’s event featured a separate prize for the Last Woman Running. Pvt. Ellen Tolentino of the Philippine Army took home 20,000 pesos as this year’s Last Woman Running. There were also events for recreational runners, but rather than hold the traditional 5k and 10k events, Rogin-E organizers opted to shake things up with a 5+2k and a 10+4 k event, in keeping with LMR’s challenge: “Can you go another round?”.
According to race organizers Bayer, attendance at this year’s event was much better than in 2011, particularly for the premier Last Man Running Category; which is why we can look forward to an even better Rogin-E Last Man Running 3 in 2013.
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