But it Felt Like I Was Dying Every single step of the way. But I finished. And I would do it again.
What Is the SingLife Davao Marathon?
The SingLife Davao Marathon, held on August 15, 2026, at SM City Lanang along J.P. Laurel Avenue, is part of the Singlife Philippine Marathon Majors — the country’s premier marathon series organized by RunRio and modeled after the World Marathon Majors in Tokyo, London, and Boston.
This was the fifth leg of the eight-race nationwide circuit, and it was timed deliberately with Kadayawan Festival, one of Davao’s biggest cultural celebrations.
Up to 6,000 runners from across the Philippines and internationally joined the event, choosing from 5K, 10K, 21K, and 42K categories.
It was, by any mesure, a serious race.
I ran the 5K.
I Ran It as Part of Zywave
I ran as one of my company’s representatives — Zywave, a Milwaukee-based insurance technology company — wearing my ZyWave cap with quiet pride the entire way.
Gun start was 5:00AM.
I finished at around 5:48, which puts me at roughly nine minutes per kilometer.
For someone who is still very much a work in progress physically, still carrying weight I am actively working to shed, and not even close to peak fitness… I will take it.
I did not run the whole thing though.
What I did instead was a rotation of brisk walking, jogging, and sprinting whenever I felt recovered enough to push.
I never stopped moving. To hydrate, I grabbed a cup of water and a slice of watermelon at the turning point, held them in my hand until I reached a proper trash can, and picked up fresh ones at the refreshment center on the way back.
Some things I noticed along the way: a mother running the course with her baby in a stroller, which was genuinely impressive.
A very tall woman a few runners ahead of me who seemed to glide.
Overweight runners like me.
Old runners like me also.
Young runners not like me hehehe.
People who looked like they trained for this and people who, like me, clearly decided to show up anyway.
Everyone was there to move.
That energy was something.
At the finish line we received snacks, a drawstring loot bag, and a towel that said FINISHER on it.
And a medal.
A heavy one.
A heavy medal! Yeah!
It said 5KM on it and I have looked at it three times since getting home.
After the group photo with the company tarpaulin, I skipped the post-race breakfast and went straight home.
I have lost about 15 pounds over the course of this year. I am still far from where I want to be — in weight, in fitness, in the body I am working toward.
But finishing a race, even a 5K, even mostly walking, is good enough for me.
5 Simple Stretches Before You Run
Do these before every run because old muscles tear. Two minutes of stretching is cheaper than a week off with a pulled hamstring. And Salonpas.
| Stretch | How to Do It | Hold / Reps |
| Standing quad stretch | Stand on one foot, pull the other heel toward your glutes, keep knees together; hold the other arm out for balance | 30 seconds each leg |
| Hip flexor lunge stretch | Step one foot forward into a lunge, drop the back knee to the ground, push hips forward gently until you feel a stretch in the front of the rear hip | 30 seconds each side |
| Standing calf stretch | Face a wall, step one foot back, press the heel flat to the ground and lean forward slightly; you will feel it in the lower leg | 30 seconds each leg |
| Seated hamstring stretch | Sit on the ground, legs straight, reach both hands toward your toes without bending your knees; go only as far as is comfortable | 30 seconds, twice |
| Hip circles | Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips, draw slow wide circles with your hips — clockwise then counter-clockwise; loosens the hip joints before impact | 10 circles each direction |
Follow these with five minutes of brisk walking before you pick up the pace. Your knees, hips, and calves will thank you later.
Especially at 47.
