The Philippine Online Chronicles

Takbong Pangarap, the project that has runner 44-year-old Joy Rojas making a 5,000 km trek from one end of the United States to another, has suffered a serious setback.

Runner and blogger Jovenal “Jovie” Narcise reported on the 'Bald Runner' that team manager Chuck Crisanto has allegedly walked out on the project, taking 70% of the donated money for the run.

“I received an e-mail from Ben Gaetos, an ultra runner friend from Los Angeles who ran with Joy Rojas for 5 miles from Eagle Rock Plaza (start of the run), informing me that Mat Macabe called him,” Narcise wrote. “According to Mat Macabe, Chuck Crisanto, one of the crew/support, abandoned them in Las Vegas, Nevada.”

Disagreements had arisen because Crisanto, Macabe alleges, “was out all the time shopping and when on the run, he’s nowhere on the road as he uses the Freeway instead of following Joy’s run on the side roads.” Crisanto had also brought with him his wife and two young children.

Rojas and Macabe found an alternative sponsor in “a Good Samaritan” who is an “editor or owner of a Pinoy newspaper.” Money transfer agency Western Union also sponsors the project.

POC has gotten in touch with Chuck Crisanto, who will issue a public statement regarding Macabe's allegations.

The rumored fall-out with Crisanto accompanies speculation whether Rojas is strictly adhering to running all 5,000 kilometers. Observers have pointed out that the documentation of the run has been sparse, and claims of distance covered questionable.

“Itoo wondered where she was after she reached Las Vegas on May 23 and then silence until she pops out in Denver for the Western Union shindig on June 23,” said one comment on Narcise's entry. “Is she running or riding part of the way?...She must do something like 20% more to be statistically in Denver by the date.”

“To set records, it would have been better if she wore one of these tracker gps items available here so that we do not have to rely on the word of her trainer who i hear is her boyfriend anyway...also strange is having a crew of one.”

Takbong Pangarap reportedly remains on schedule.

The 120-day run began on May 11 at Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. By July, Rojas had run through Nevada, Utah and Colorado to reach Kansas. She still has to marathon through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to reach New York by her September 8 deadline.

Upon completion of the ultramarathon, Rojas will be the first Filipina to complete a trans-USA run.

Pictures of Rojas' run can be viewed here.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites