Espina heads zark’s 500K run field

Filipino ultra marathon standout Rolando “Junjun” Espina sets out for his biggest challenge yet when he headlines the 500-kilometer Zark’s Burgers Ultimate Run that starts in Ilocos Norte on Tuesday.

A two-time finisher of the Spartathlon in Greece the past two years, Espina warmed up for the longest footrace in Southeast Asia by topping the 250K Manila to Baguio race in 35 hours and 43 minutes last week.

“This is going to be my longest race,” said the 45-year-old Espina, who works as a nurse in Ireland, during the event launch at Zark’s Burgers Taft in Manila. “Hopefully, I can finish the race in four days.”

The race will mainly pass through MacArthur Highway and will finish at Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

“We are going to run all night long because it might get really hot during the day. We will try to cover 120 to 125K on a daily basis for four days,” added Espina.

Zark’s will also hold 10K, 5K and 2.5K races on Feb. 25 at Quezon Memorial Circle to welcome the 500K participants.

“We launched this event to really test the endurance and push the limits of the Filipino runner,” said Zark’s Burgers owner Commie Espina Varona. “It’s a historic event for us. We wanted to do something that hasn’t been done in the Philippines or in Southeast Asia”

Race organizer Jeff Santiago said ultra marathon rules will be strictly followed. All participants are allowed to sleep only on roadsides and should be visible to other runners.