MANILA – Hundreds of runners, including celebrities, participated in the “Heroes for Children Run” spearheaded by Anne Curtis and UNICEF Philippines at the Mall of Asia grounds on Sunday.

According to UNICEF, the fun run is the first major fundraising initiative by Curtis since she was appointed as its Celebrity Advocate last March.

Curtis said all of the proceeds from the run will support UNICEF’s “1,000 Days” campaign, which will support the first 1,000 days of life of a child which starts from the womb of the mother until the second birthday.

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“Nothing else inspires me except the UNICEF Philippines, the children. What actually triggered this was when I had my first field visit in Tacloban. I got to experience everything first-hand. I got to witness the problems, the hardships of children out there. That’s how this came together,” she said.

Asked why she thought of holding a fun run instead of doing other fundraising events, Curtis said: “I thought it would have been a perfect way to compliment the first 1,000 days of life of a child which includes fitness, health and nutrition.”

While admitting she had a hard time finishing her first half-marathon run, Curtis said: “I knew that I was running for a greater cause. That’s what really got me through my first 21K.”

Aside from Curtis, here are some pictures of the other personalities who also joined the fun run.