The TCS Clark Animo International Marathon, a major international fitness event at Clark Global City, has moved its start date to May 10.
Originally set for March 8, the race was reset by its organizers and stakeholders as a precautionary measure in view of the health and safety concerns surrounding the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
As the TCS Clark Animo International Marathon is a global sports tourism event, the need to undertake such steps to help protect the well-being of race participants from the health threat is more crucial than ever.
Organized annually by the De La Salle Alumni Association Pampanga chapter along with Clark Global City, the marathon, which has its courses certified by the International Association of Athletic Federations and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (IAAF-AIMS), will be sponsored by leading technology company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for the fifth year in a row. TCS has sponsored other prestigious global running events such as the TCS New York City Marathon, TCS Amsterdam Marathon, and Tata Mumbai Marathon.
A help desk is now open to assist all racers who have been affected by the change in schedule. They can be reached at the following numbers: 09384798166, 09384798167, and 09666406420. Queries may also be emailed at [email protected] or posted on their Facebook page, TCS Clark Animo Internation. Registered racers who can not make it to the new race date will be automatically registered for next year’s race.
When asked what drove the TCS to support the Clark Animo International Marathon, TCS Philippines country head Shiju Varghese cited how the marathon grew from a contingent of 600 runners of De La Salle alumni to over 8,000 runners in 2019, as well as the DLSAA-P’s charitable pursuits. “This is beyond simply running,” said Varghese. “This is about serving the community.”
To help rev up interest in the event, TCS recently launched the Clark Animo 2020 app for all prospective racers to use. In its current phase, the app contains event details of the forthcoming race, information about the race course, and even results of past races. Its upcoming second phase will have a “virtual run” feature that can help racers gauge how they will perform in the marathon. It will have a selfie feature with a custom digital frame, as well.
Past iterations of the TCS Clark Animo International Marathon have helped raise funds for the De La Salle Botanical Gardens in support of their environment-friendly efforts. The earnings from this year’s marathon will fund tree-planting projects as well as subsidize scholarship programs for future teachers in honor of St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, patron saint of teachers.
TCS Clark Animo International Marathon 2020 is made possible by Tata Consultancy Services, Clark Global City, Clark Development Corporation, CONVERGE, New Balance, SMART, Nepo Center, Pocari Sweat, Cherifer Premium, CMCS Inc, Kenny Rogers, and Genesis Transport. Its other sponsors include Garmin, Alpha Aviation, Bale Capampangan, Inbox, Cenmidis, Ederm Centers, Public Figure Photography, Royce Hotel and Clark Water, with CLTV36 and UFM 105.5 as media partners. In line with the rescheduled start dates, registration has reopened subject to limited slot availability.
