600 runners take part in Laoag City Sand Dunes Challenge

A BIGGER Sand Dunes Challenge awaits running enthusiasts and adventure seekers in Laoag City on Saturday, Feb. 22.

From 500 slots last year, Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon has raised the number of participants for the 3rd Laoag City Sand Dunes Challenge to 600 this year.

A brainchild of Keon, the foot race features 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer distances with a separate 5K event for kids.

Unlike traditional running events, the Laoag City Sand Dunes Challenge takes place in a captivating but difficult landscape where runners not only nego-tiate the hilly terrain but also the slippery and volatile surface of the sand dunes.

Keon, the man behind the Gintong Alay project of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos, said the Laoag City Sand Dunes Challenge is one of the high-lights of the city's Pamulinawen Festival. It was first held in 2023 with only 300 slots on a first-come-first-serve basis.

"This is a sports tourism event of the city aimed at attracting visitors not just for the event but to see what Laoag City has to offer," said Keon, who has not collected entry fees for the Sand Dunes Challenge from the start.

Cash prizes, however, await the top finishers.

An additional attraction for all participants is the opportunity to experience sand boarding and 4x4 wheel ride for free.