SM officials and employees recently gathered to celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship, camaraderie and healthy competition during the annual SM Sports Festival. As it had been during the past years, the sports festival promotes physical fitness through two exciting and fun-filled events, the SM Marathon and the Mini Olympics.
 
SM Prime Holdings Inc. President Hans T. Sy and SM Retail Inc. President Jorge Mendiola graced the sports festival, together with SM Mart Inc. President Chelo Monasterio, and SVP for Engineering and Security Affairs and Sports Festival Committee Chair Antolin Paule.
 
The SM Marathon, which was held at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, brought together the best group of runners from The SM Store’s 19 branches in Metro Manila, as well as its head office in Pasay. Over 2,000 employees ran for health in the men’s 5-kilometer and the women’s 3k races, dashing from the business park’s Simbahan Drive to the Seaside Boulevard near by-the-bay area. As the runners competed, other SM employees had fun at the body-jam session, where they danced to this summer’s best beats.
 
The SM Mini Olympics, on the other hand, was held for the very first time at the Marikina Sports Center. Marathon first placers Miriam Fortunato of SM San Lazaro and Marlon Bolivar of SM Southmall symbolically lighted the torch to begin the event, with all of the twenty teams proudly waving their respective team colors, made more vibrant by the Masskara theme and the costumes showcased at the opening ceremony.
 
During the Mini Olympics, employees became track stars competing in events, such as the men and women’s 100-meter dash. Miriam Fortunato of SM San Lazaro bagged Gold once again for her team, while Nomer Carpio of SM Bicutan won in his category. Another highlight was the fun games, like the sack race, where the Megamall Stallions had the winning leap to land in the first place.
 
The North Edsa Blue Hawks, who won team events, like the 8×50 relay, obstacle course and tug-of-war, emerged as the overall champions for the second year in a row, since the sports festival returned to the one branch-one team format last year. The Manila King Cobras and the San Lazaro Mustangs took in the second and third places, respectively.
 
A hip-hop dance competition, meanwhile, showcased the creativity and talent of SM employees. The D’ Next Level Group of SM North Edsa, SM Fairview, SM Marikina and SM Novaliches got the judges’ nod for the best choreography and use of exercise gears as props to their dance routine. A much-awaited portion of the annual competition is the special performance by the National University Pep Squad, which was ranked third best in the world at the 2015 International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships for the Coed Elite Division.
 
The SM Marathon and Mini Olympics 2016 are some of the many exciting events SM holds for its employees