Pregnant women join today’s Maternity Run

Around 800 runners, a hundred of them pregnant and menopausal women will answer today’s starting gun in the first ever “Maternity Run 2012” at 5:30 a.m in front of the Maternity Hospital, in Fuente Osmena.

The running event will serve as the culminating activity of the hospital’s week-long anniversary celebration. According to race director Joel Juarez, some 800 runners have already registered as of yesterday with entries from some of the race’s registration areas still to be collected. Juarez is expecting the final number of entries to reach one thousand.

The Maternity House was founded in 1922 by the Cebu Women’s Club and became independent on 1973.

The running event is organized by the Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House Inc.

The pregnant and menopausal women will be joining the 1-kilometer fun walk category which will traverse mostly the uptown area while the 3k open and 10k open and the born and delivered in Cebu Maternity Hospital categories will traverse Gorordo Avenue and Lahug area.

“We have this special category because we want those who have their children born and delivered in our hospital to join the run,” said Dr. Humility Igaña, the chairperson of the running event.

Proceeds of the footrace will be given to the hospital’s charity patients.

The top three male and female winners in the 3k category will take home medals, the top five in the 10k will receive cash and medals as well as the top three finishers in the special category.