The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), the country’s longest and tallest bridge and
Cebu’s new icon and landmark, is taking center stage in Cebu’s major sporting events. Its
length and elevation have become a test of endurance and mental toughness for athletes
who dare to take on the challenge.

This weekend, the 8.9-kilometer expressway is hosting the comeback of the Cebu Marathon, the
country’s most festive 42K running event that will gather a total of 8,632 local and international runners.

After two years of holding virtual races due to the pandemic, the marathon is returning to an
in-person race on January 8, 2023, a week before the annual Sinulog, the grandest, most
distinguished, and colorful festival in the country.

“For the first time since CCLEX opened, runners will be able to climb the iconic bridge and
run the full length of our expressway linking Cebu and Mactan Island. We can’t wait to
welcome runners and allow them to experience CCLEX in all its glory come race day,” said
Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) President and General Manager
Allan G. Alfon.

CCLEX will be part of the race route for Cebu Marathon’s 10K, 21K, and 42K distances.
CCLEX will also be featured prominently on finishers’ medals for 21K and 42k runners.

The Cebu Marathon is the second major sporting event to use CCLEX. 

The event comes months after CCLEX’s successful hosting of the bike leg of the Megaworld
Ironman 70.3 Philippines in August 2022, when hundreds of triathletes and cyclists pedaled
their way on the bridge. Athletes described the race route with the inclusion of the CCLEX as
among the world’s best.

“Surely, CCLEX is fast becoming a new sports icon, supporting the revival of Cebu’s tourism
industry and the economy,” Alfon said.

Registration for the 2023 edition of the marathon has already exceeded its previous record
for participants, with organizers attributing Sit to CCLEX as many are looking forward to the
chance to run on the iconic structure.

“Runner’s high’ is a familiar line used by many runners. It’s that exhilarating feeling that you
experience when you’re ecstatic while on the run,” said Cebu City Sports Commission
Chairman John Pages. “Thanks to CCLEX, the more than 8,000 participants joining the
Cebu Marathon this January 8, 2023, will experience (literally) this ‘runner’s high’ as they
climb the country’s tallest and longest bridge.”

The Cebu Marathon is organized by the Cebu Executive Runners Club. It started in 2008
with a 21K or half-marathon distance. When it organized the “01-10-10” race in 2010, it was
the first major 42K running event in Cebu in a long time. It was also the first to use timing
chips.