Last week, various run clubs in the Metro (WeKenRun, RWP, Rockwell Run Club, 5AM Gang, etc.) engaged in a friendly race sponsored by Nike.

Each run club fielded ten male and female runners to run or, more accurately, climb the road from Kasille Hills in Nuvali to Picnic Grove in Tagaytay with a total distance of nine kilometers and an elevation gain of nearly 500 meters.

Coach Rio dela Cruz who organized the event informed us that four of our fastest runners were disqualified from joining to ensure an even playing field. Our Coach, Ken Mendola, accepted the challenge.

The thing with WeKenRun is everyone has a very healthy competitive spirit. There are so many “overachievers” and, therefore, we have developed such a deep bench, so to speak.

Came race day, WekenRunners arrived at the venue early. Without need of any prodding from our Coach, they did their band exercises and warm up drills. And, lastly, just before the race started, they huddled to pray.

I was not present that day and all these I witnessed only vicariously through the videos. It just made me so proud of our team.

This is us. This is what we do every single time. This is how we have been trained.

On social media last week, the burning issue was about the qualification of coaches, with many saying that running coaches are now a dime a dozen. Indeed, it is so easy now to get an online certification to be able to “coach” other runners.

My take is the best way to gauge how good a coach is is through his or her trainees.

When left on their own, observe how the trainees behave, compete and race. The culture and discipline within a run club is primarily fostered by the coach and hisor her assistants.

I’ve always believed, too, that the quality of the coach can also be gauged by the kind of athletes/trainees that gravitate towards him or her.

And by this, I am not referring to one’s running skills but more character.

While the members of the team come from vastly different backgrounds, there is a venn diagram that glues us all together. It’s an intangible trait that I find in most of our teammates.

What stands out for me is that unremitting desire not just to improve oneself but to help each other.

That Sunday, our teammates showed the other run clubs present what WeKenRun was about.

They exhibited discipline, grit, joy and generosity. When our Nos. 1 and 2 finished the race, they voluntarily went back to pace the other members of the team while the other finishers just stayed at the finish line.

The mechanics provided that the average time of all team members would determine the ultimate winner and WeKenRun won. The price was ₱100,000 worth of gift certificates from Nike plus free Vomero 18s for the winning team members. The top two runners were also from WekenRun.

Taking this opportunity to congratulate Coach Ken Mendola, our assistant coaches, and our runners James Arianas, Jose Fabito Jr., Renzo Lerio, Ceasar Benson, Vinci Mercado, Aaron Tolentino, Niña Mercado, Aui Tolentino, Karen Mirano and Lizy Misa.

So proud of all of you!