Rafthon to debut in Oro
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/sports/2015/08/01/rafthon-debut-oro-422284
- Saturday, August 1, 2015
- By Jack Biantan
HAVE you been river rafting before? How about biking and running? Of course, everyone physically fit has done biking, running and possibly rafting.
But try combining the three and add the scenic views of mountain villages of Cagayan de Oro city and Bukidnon then voila, you have Rafthon.
The mountain barangay of Mambuaya (17.5 kms. from Cde0), will host this one of a kind race next month. I never thought CDO is that big. The city territory stretches into the mountains where the rapids of Cagayan river snakes through and extends into the boundaries of Bukidnon province and beyond.
These rapids are quite dangerous but have become an attraction to thousands of thrill seekers each year. Cagayan de Oro’s remote barangay of Mambuaya and Ugyaban in the town of Talakag, Bukidnon are two sites where there is a thriving tourism industry for the stomach churning adventure of river rafting.
Rafthon is a brainchild of its chief backer Sean Moreno, son of CdeO mayor Oscar Moreno. It is a 54 kms. of grueling rafting, cycling and running along white waters of Cagayan de Oro river.
According to organizer Gracielle Maribao of Circle Production, the younger Moreno envisions this race to promote the two things in which CdeO is famous, River Rafting and Friendship.
“It is a race full of adventure which uses the concept of the Triathlon. It creates activity for athletes right after the CdeO Fiesta activities,’’ Maribao said during the dry run activities held last Wednesday.
The race will start early morning of Aug. 29. Some 100 teams from all over the country are expected to join in the six person per team race. “So far 20 teams have already confirmed,’’ Maribao added.
The race will kick off with the athletes rafting from the upstream of Ugyaban’s mountain village down to Mambuaya. The remaining 35 kilometers. biking and the 10 kilometers. running races will start and end at Mambuaya’s basketball court.
Maribao added that although this project is the brainchild of the mayor’s son, Sean Moreno, the Cagayan de Oro City Government is not spending a single cent on this.
The City Government’s tourism department, however, shows its full support to the project as it will entice hundreds of tourists and participants alike.
A plus factor in the location of the race is that the road going to Mambuaya is well paved. Thanks to the efforts of mayor Moreno, the trip from CdeO to the mountain village used to take more than an hour. But with construction of the concrete road and the all year maintenance, a trip to the village takes less than half an hour.
I should know. We drove to the village during the dry run and the road was as smooth as ice. Workers were also constructing landslide preventive walls along the roadsides by the mountains.
Maribao also said that prizes will be at stake for the top teams and top runners and bikers in this activity supported by CdeO Triathlon Team, Oro Rafters Association, JCI Bailawanen, and Go Easy Events.
Registration for the event is still going on according to Sean Moreno. Interested participants can register at the events’ website at www.rafthon.com.
[Email: l.biantan@gmail.com]