British philantropist completes 600km run, calls for more sports funding for children from the grassroots
MANILA, Philippines — British philanthropist Marko Kasic, founder of FundLife, often finds himself faced with great devastation brought about by destructive typhoons that leave thousands of people homeless and hungry.
After all, FundLife is a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) established to rebuild communities devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City.
Recently, though, he found himself faced with a different kind of challenge. The challenge to complete a 600-kilometer run across Luzon to urge greater investment in grassroots sports for children in the Philippines. Following the recent success of Filipino athletes, including gymnast Carlos Yulo and the two gold medals he earned at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kasic emphasizes the need for substantial support to help young Filipinos reach their full potential.
The project, Move Luzon ‘Run with Purpose,’ forms part of the NGO's 'Play Equity' Pledge to campaign for the freedom all children should have to play and learn safely. Specifically, the effort aims to provide 5,000 underserved children access to running clinics and equip a hundred DepEd teachers with the basics to teach running classes.
The NGO uses sports to protect, educate, and empower vulnerable children to work hard for a better life. Hence, the project was conceived to encourage Filipino children to start running, which can lead to not just more but better educational opportunities.
“If they excel at running or any sport, it could provide them with an athletic scholarship to finish high school and enter college. Running can be an attainable pathway from poverty to educational and economic prosperity,” Kasic emphasized.
His two-week run began at Patapat Viaduct, Pagudpud, on July 8 and ended in Metro Manila on July 21, 2024. For his 14-day journey, Kasic covered the equivalent of 14 marathons while engaging with both running and non-running communities. He ran solo for most of his trip but was joined by over 300 members of the Rockwell Run Club on the last 21-km and 10-km stretch.
"Move Luzon is my way of transforming FundLife’s vision into actionable commitment steps. Just like our work, it’s about giving to make a tangible impact on