Runbike racing emerging as stepping stone for future Olympic cyclists

By Edwin Rollon

Runbike racing is steadily carving out its place in the Philippine sports landscape as an ideal grassroots discipline for children aspiring to become future cycling champions and, ultimately, Olympic athletes.

This vision continues to drive Kick2Pedal (K2P) Runbike Racing Philippines, which has been actively organizing competitions nationwide, including the recently concluded Karera ng Pilipinas International Race at TLC Park in Taguig City.

"Runbike racing, or pushbike racing, started about two years ago. We saw that there are already major races for children across Asia, but in the Philippines, competitions were previously limited to small races in malls and parking lots. Over the past 10 years, the sport has continued to grow, and runbike racing has now reached a highly competitive level," said K2P Runbike Racing Philippines director and pioneer Sofia Genato during the weekly TOPS "Usapang Sports" Forum held at the Philippine Sports Commission Conference Room in Malate, Manila.

Genato said runbike racing provides children with an opportunity to develop balance, coordination, and confidence at an early age while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle away from excessive screen time. The sport is open to children between two and 12 years old.

"We want the sport to continue growing because many parents are looking for activities that will keep their children away from too much screen time and encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. This is a sport for children aged 2 to 12 years old. In fact, my son, Hudson, started when he was just 19 months old. Our goal is to stage world-class events for kids and create more racing opportunities," she said.

The forum, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Behrouz Persian Cuisine, and Pocari Sweat, was also attended by K2P parents/coaches Jeff Cruz, Irvin Tan, and Renee Principe, along with promising five-year-old runbike racers Noah Tan, Hudson Schoonmaker, Juan Dominique Uno Principe, and Zoe Cruz.

Principe highlighted the sport's role in preparing young athletes for higher levels of cycling competition.

"Runbike racing also serves as a transition to triathlon by teaching kids how to ride a bike. Through social media, we discovered competitive runbike races. As a family, we love traveling, so we combine our trips with racing, making every journey more memorable," she said.

Genato added that K2P is committed to bringing more international-caliber competitions to the country to further popularize the sport and provide Filipino children with greater exposure to elite competition.

"Our goal is to bring world-class racing to the Philippines so the sport can continue to grow. We also bring our kids abroad to experience international competitions because our pathway is to compete in the World Championships and, eventually, the Olympics. One day, some of these young athletes could transition to BMX racing," she said.

K2P is set to send Filipino riders to an international competition in Thailand on Aug. 8-9 before staging more races in September and November. The organization is also planning to expand its grassroots program by holding more events in Mindanao while seeking support from private sponsors to help accelerate the growth of the country's runbike community.