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THE CONVERSE BLOCK PARTY: SUMMER’S LAST, BIG BLAST WITH GAMES, MUSIC AND DANCE!

CONVERSE BRINGS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY together for an entire day of street games, basketball-skateboard-and-dance exhibitions, musical performances and the chance to win fun prizes—it’s time for the Converse Block Party at the SM Mall of Asia! The Converse Block Party unites our community to celebrate and achieve worthy goals.

A block party, like the Fourth of July Block Parties in the United States, is more than just a street party. It’s about community members rediscovering and relating to one another in unity and mutual understanding.

From this unity, we discover the power of friendship and camaraderie so that we can act, as one community for our benefit. Essentially, we are tapping into the same spirit of bayanihan that Filipino communities of old mobilized to help each other.

Street cred

Converse is a much-loved, long-established leader in casual street-wear. The brand is already an iconic part of our lives. The block party is not just a perfect showcase for Converse as the preferred urban outdoors apparel—it is also an opportunity to show the not-so-obvious but ever-present reality: a community is most united when its members gather outdoors.

When families and individuals stay at home, they are all separated from each other by their respective domiciles. When they gather outside in the streets, this separation disappears and they go a step closer to uniting as a community. The Converse Block Party wants to dissolve the barriers that separate us and help us find the qualities that make us one community.

Converse’s iconic street-wear status bridges the gap between individuals. It’s so easy for people wearing Chuck Taylors or sporting the Star Chevron logo to strike a conversation. In a way, wearing Converse represents a common attitude, a shared act that, when enough people get together, transforms into a communal gathering. That’s where Converse’s “street cred” comes from.

Basketball, skateboarding

The Converse Block Party brings together the community through activities that Filipinos enjoy. Every community in the Philippines has a basketball court, big or small. That’s why the block party includes basketball exhibition games and shooting competitions, as well as other basketball-related contests that give away exciting prizes.

Besides basketball, skateboarding is also featured in the event. Skaters have the chance to do their own thing during the Open Skate session. Skateboarding competitions promise exciting prizes. Old and new skateboarding tricks wow the audience while a Skate Clinic welcomes all who wish to improve their skills on the board.

Electrifying performances

The block party features music and dancing from some of today’s top performers. The Philippine All-Stars and Krumpinoy gets everyone moving to the beat of their amazing street-dance moves.

Callalily and Gloc 9 with Pointblanc rock the house while Beatbox Philippines show off their skills onstage. A beatbox contest lets winning participants perform onstage with Beatbox Philippines. Visual artists create some cool graffiti and chalk art.

The Converse Block Party is the perfect send-off, the best hurrah for the summer, as we celebrate friendship, great memories, Life and Freedom. Let’s party!

A Doctorate in Running

I was a bit apprehensive upon joining the 10k race at first since I had a basketball game the day before. But I still decided to jump for the 10k instead of 5k or 3k because this is good training and base building for my 2 upcoming runs in may (Greentennial Half Marathon and Run for Integrity)

So anyways, race time was delayed by 10 minutes, to give time for the late comers affected by the closed roads due to other simultaneous runs and gatherings. By Gunstart I was able to hold my pace by continuously running up to the 3rd km marker. By the time I reached blue wave fatigue is starting to wear in. Re-tying laces also didn't help.

By the way, Runrio's km markers may not be much in 3-5k races but they're a big psychological help on 10k and above  races. It really helps when to pace / conserve energy and when to give it all out.  The heat was also something,  first time I  consumed all 4 hydration bottles.

Towards the end of the race, It was quite surprising a lot of participants from the shorter distances were leisurely walking towards the end of the finish line. It was quite hard to bypass them. I hope next time they'll treat it as a run. I Sprinted towards the finish line and gladly made it.



Post event had 2 long lines for Ice cream and photograph, good thing I left my camera in the car, no need for those long lines. Thanks to the sponsors for the medicine and some oatmeal cookies.

In the end, I clocked in at 1:06:21 56 second improvement for my 10k PR but still a lot of improvement needed. Since I got a free kit, I was known as "Unknown Athlete. Actually, that sounds kinda cool. I spent the rest of the day on rubbery legs.