Vermosa Green Run 5.0 achieves sustainability goals

The fifth edition of the Vermosa Green Run took place on Sunday, June 28, at the Vermosa Estates in Imus, Cavite, with over 2,000 runners and their dogs.

The five-tiered dawn run drew running enthusiasts, run club members, elite runners, and fun runners, as well as members of the running media. Edgardo Panopio and Lorely Magalona won gold in the 21K category; Jomm Lacanilao-Gay and Patrice Quiday dominated the 10K run; John Mark Balogo and Ira Alvaro finished first in the 5K category; Jessi Valentine and Danielle Sophia dominated the 3K category; and Moises Calastravo and his dog, Onzi, made their mark in the 1K Dog Run.

Participants in the Run were encouraged to donate used plastic bottles. These would then be turned over to the Makati Development Corporation (MDC) for upcycling into eco-bricks to support sustainable construction at Ayala Land projects. 

The runners' singlets, finisher shirts, and dog bandanas were also made entirely from recycled PET bottles, converting plastic waste into high-quality sportswear.

"We wanted our runners to experience sustainability both literally and symbolically. This year, we offered a discount for donating used PET bottles, and the community supported this! Celebrating our landmark fifth consecutive year, the energy across our 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K tracks, and 1K Dog Run was unmatched. Seeing families, elite athletes, and pet lovers come together at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub shows that our community's passion for fitness is deeply intertwined with environmental action. Looking ahead, our goal is to continue scaling this impact. While Vermosa remains our flagship home because of its expansive, nature-forward open spaces, we are constantly exploring deeper corporate and community partnerships. We want to bring more runners into the fold each year, proving that active, high-performance lifestyles can be completely sustainable." ~Lani Tan, General Manager of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub

Environmental runs, such as the Vermosa Green Run, help to save the planet by raising funds for ecological projects, promoting sustainable habits, and directly supporting initiatives like tree planting.

This year, the Vermosa Green Run encouraged corporate and group registrations, inviting groups of ten to participate and automatically join the Haribon Foundation's Forests for Life Movement. The Haribon initiative supports native tree planting and forest restoration projects in partner communities across the country by bringing together individuals, organizations, and local communities to restore degraded forests through a science-based rainforestation approach that focuses on planting and nurturing native tree species.

"Our partnership with the Haribon Foundation is a cornerstone of why we do this. Over the past few editions, the funds raised have gone directly into Haribon's Adopt-a-Seedling and rainforestation programs. For this milestone 5th edition, we were overwhelmed by registrations where we attracted many groups of 10. That means hundreds of new native trees will be nurtured directly because of our runners’ strides today. Crossing the finish line is fantastic, but knowing your team left a lasting ecological legacy is the real victory." ~Letty Oh-Naňagas, Vermosa Marketing Manager

Beneficiaries of The Green Run at Vermosa 2026 are Haribon Foundation, Takbo Kabitenyo and Pawssion Project as the expression of its advocacy for ecosystem conservation, an active lifestyle and youth sports development, and animal welfare.

Supporters of the fifth edition of the Vermosa Green Run are Oishi, Merrell, Pocari, Salonpas, Booster C, Fitbar, Gatsby, Milo, Apex, Topbreed, Dunsk Kuhner, Baby Boo, Chef Special, Entrée Gourmet Pet Treats, Saint Roche, The Gourmet Specialist, Zert, and Wonderpaw.