My Dream Marathon - The Bull Runner Marathon in Nuvali!

March 20, 2011 (Sunday)
Today was a day where impossible dreams came true in NUVALI. Hundreds of first-time marathoners finished a 42K race. Who in their right minds would do that, right?


Maybe I can make my dreams come true after this.

The Bull Runner Dream Marathon race participants have been running for quite a while, I overheard someone say since 2 a.m., and we arrived a few minutes before 8 a.m. 


The finish line was full of people cheering for all who've survived running for more than 5 hours.


Think about it for a minute. Will you be willing to take the first steps to get yourself this far? 5 months of commitment and training with a coach, of Bull Circles (talks on running) and of Bull Sessions (running clinics). Mind you, this becomes a harder feat because it started from October 2010 to March 2011. How can one survive from the temptations of school reunions, Noche Buena, Christmas gatherings and New Year feasts? Maybe it becomes bearable and just another laughing matter if you bring in your whole family, 


your partner, 


your teammates, 


your office mates 


and your barkada with you so that you all go through it together. 


Let's be "crazy" for once in our lives. I believed at that moment, even as I was standing at the finish line as a spectator during this Dream Marathon, that hundreds of people's lives were changed at the moment they said, "I'm signing up for the Dream Marathon".


The Dream always makes you and breaks you at the same time. I remember thinking that those who have the experience will either go on running and loving it or they'll stop and they, at least, can say that they did finish a 42K race for once in their lives


Either way, as they said, everybody who crossed that finish line at that Dream Marathon is a winner. 


Tangibly, they get a medal, 


pictures, 


fleeting body pain 


and bragging rights. 


Intangibly, they get love, support, friendship,


perseverance, 


health, fun, 


happiness 


and an unforgettable time of their lives. 


Whoever said that we can't have them all. 

During the race, Dream Chasers ran with the participants to give their support and encouragement. 


Fans cruised the NUVALI race route on the Dream Mobile for other participants. 


Children supported their moms and dads in the race and make their works of art in the Cheer Zone.


Everybody patiently waited for around 2 to 3 more hours for every winner to finish at their own pace.


The matadors were there at the finish line to give some amusement and refreshment.


When people see that, like when I did right there at the 2011 TBR Dream Marathon, it felt like tearing up at their victory and saying I want that too was not something I would just like to keep to myself. 


The moment you break out of your shells of comfort, you expand yourself and when you reach that finish line, you discover that there are other things you can actually do, especially when you said "Impossible!" before. 


I only have admiration for the people who made it possible and for the participants who were unstoppable. Read their remarkable individual stories here.

I'll see you there next year? I definitely want to make my first time marathon experience to be beyond memorable. (Update 2012: I still haven't done this haha.)

Registration every year starts around September.

15 Reasons Why You Should Join the TBR Dream Marathon

For my first NUVALI experience and what else to do there, click here.

My Dream Marathon - The Bull Runner (TBR) Marathon in Nuvali!