RUNNR in Cebu (and a blast from the past!)

This was my first road race ever.

The year was 1996 just a few days before I turned 18. The race was called the Cenovis 5K for women, while Pharmaton sponsored the 10K run for men. The race director was Raffy Uytiepo and the road you see in the picture is the junction of Osmena Blvd. and Escario St. right across the Cebu Provincial Capitol, where all the local road races used to have its start/finish area.

As you can see in the photo, runners then were content to be running in cotton garments (in my case, the regulation cotton PE shirt and shorts from STC) and sneakers (regulation Spartan brand which was the required footwear for PE class). The lady just behind me is wearing denim shorts and canvass slip-ons! We didn't know any better then and dri-fit science was a good 5 or 7 years away from Philippine shores. It was a miracle we didn't get injured as much then.

Fast forward to 2009 -- the age of the second running boom. How times have changed! Today, no one would be caught dead running in a pair of denim shorts or Spartan sneakers.

Today, runners have the privilege of improving performance and preventing injury with aid of state-of-the art technology that can help determine the right fit and correct show type.




In June this year, Runnr opened it's first store at Bonifacio High Street. In less than six months, Runnr opens its second store in Cebu giving runners and sports enthusiasts from the Visayas and Minadano access to Runnr's exclusive and much vauntedFootworx Fitting process.

The Footworx Fitting process is a combination of three, state-of-the-art technologies: FootDisc, High-Speed Video Gait Analysis, and the Custom Insole Molding. The store is the first and only store in the country (and possibly the world) to offer all three technologies under one roof.

A team of highly trained staff can take each customer through the Footworx fitting process to be able to offer accurate and comprehensive recommendations based on an individual’s foot type and gait characteristics . First, foot morphology is analyzed using the RUNNR “Footdisc” Analysis System, which uses a thermodynamic system to determine foot type. Second, using the high-speed video gait analysis, customers will run on a treadmill while the camera captures the way they run, checking their pronation angle as they go through their normal gait cycle. Then they can compare different shoes to find the one that works best for them. Lastly, RUNNR offers the ‘Flashfit’ custom insole molding process where insoles are heat-treated to make the perfect insoles in while you wait.


These customized services ensure that whatever one’s requirements as a runner, the shoes and optional insoles minimize foot instability for better shock absorption, and minimize fatigue while reducing the chances of injury.


Toby’s Sports, the country’s largest and most popular sports retail chain is the people behind RUNNR running specialty store.

RUNNR Cebu will offer its premier brands that include Adidas, Asics, Fuelbelt, Hammer, Nathan, New Balance, Nike, Polar, Newton Running Shoes, and CW-X compression apparel.



Other running gear and accessory brands available at RUNNR Cebu will include Sennheiser, Halo head bands, Body Glide, Speedlaces, Finis, Equipe, Mueller, Spenco and Oakley among others.

RUNNR will open on the first week of December at the 2nd level of Ayala Center Cebu (where Collage used to be and right across Sbarro)

For more details log on to www.runnr.com.ph, or check out the RUNNR social networking sites on Face Book and Twitter (www.facebook.com/RUNNRstore and www.twitter.com/RUNNRstore