Maximum running

The second edition of the Holiday Gym & Spa Run to the Max held last Sunday at the gym’s parking lot was a whooping success. But did you know we almost postponed or canceled the race? Two weeks before the race a frantic Annie Neric, the gym’s energetic manager and a member of the Cebu Executive Runners Club, called me to an emergency meeting. Annie said her major sponsors backed out as they diverted sponsorship budget to victims of typhoon Ondoy. But I told Annie we have worked so hard already, so there’s no turning back. Of course Annie knows I’ve never backed out from challenges, it’s now or never. So we set a modest target considering there was another race on the same day. But the magic won’t just go away. First our race is the only 10 miler (16K) event in Cebu, second we command a lot of running clubs and of course a good route with well-trained marshals and traffic enforcers along the way. The Milo Marathon finals was also being held that same Sunday, so we were missing some of the big guns, Mendel Lopez, Madelyn Carter, Mary Grace Delos Santos, Joel Delposo and Elmer Bartolo. As race day approached, registration swelled. We had to reject a lot of would-be participants as we ran out of race numbers and singlest Almost all the big clubs were there, Lexmark with 65 runners, Rox Gym with 45, Holiday Gym about 70, Sunday Runners, Prycegas Runners Atan Guardo Runners, Mandaue Running Club, Run for Sight and the Executive Runners Club whose members made the run a final tune-up before leaving for Amsterdam and Quezon City. In all, we had a thousand runners if your count the unregistered ones. Erstwhile queen of the road, Leszl Gitaruelas who had been missing in the Cebu races for sometime, showed she’s still a force to reckon with, when she ruled the race in one minute and 11 seconds. Leszl had been training in Cagayan de Oro for the Kota Kinabalu Climbation in Malaysia next week Mary Joy Tabal finished second in 1:12:49 while Joeyry Lee pocketed third in 1:16:48, Emely Roxas wound up fourth in 1:29:35, Doris Nogalo 5th in 1:32:24, Roselle Baldevieso 6th 1:34:19, Tessie Escasiñas 7th in 1:53, Amale Jopson 8th in 1:54 and Merlita Arias Dunkin 9th in 1:55:21. in the men’s division, Angelito Sibayan was tops in 57:22:24. Philip Duenas and Adonis Singson clocked 57:35 and 57:50 for second and third respectively. The rest of the top 10 are 4th Jess Gonzaga (58:37), 5th Joebert Carolino (1:00:37), 6th Charlie Berberio (1:02:05), 7th Roland Montebon (1:02:47) 5th Jeppy Lumongsod (1:03:47) 9th Rey Flores (1:07:32) and 10th Pauld Zapico (1:07:37). In the 6K category, Jorry Ycong was just to classy for the rest of the field when he won in 22:09, Ian Bernido wound up second in 22:48 while Carl Malazarte came in third in 23:03. Felix Lopez salvaged 4th in 23:28 while Joseph Codino was 5th in 23:33. The rest of the top 10 are 6th Niño Misa (23:48), 7th Miljune Luterte (23:50), 8th Jesus Baculi (24:22) 9th Leo Abello (24:42) and 10th Tomas Nuñez (24:54).

In the 6K women’s open, Merlyn Alin emerged champion in 30:15 while Chen May Dagcuta and Faith Cong were second and third in 30:58 and 31:12 respectively. Kresha Ygot was fourth in 35:42 while Lirio Omolon took fifth in 35:47. The rest of the top 10 are 6th. Delia Nodalo (37:10), 7th Kimberly Ygot (38:11) 8th Irene Alcoriza (41:13) 9th Abigail Cua (43:09) and 10th Emily Antipala (45:11) in the Holiday Gym & Spa members category the winners in the 16K men’s division are 1st Alberto Biagan, second Arnold Go and third Michael Miravales. Women’s division (16K) 1st Millette Chiongbian 2nd-Franie Semilla and 3rd Betina Veloso. In the 6K (HGS) men’s 1st Christ Burdette 2nd Mark Almadrones and 3rd Sydney Carcel. Women’s (HGS) 1st Lynn Moro, 2nd Joan Castillo and 3rd Rachel Limtang. Some of the prominent names who joined the race were Atan and Jeson Guardo, Mary Ann Delos Santos, Joel Garganera, Philip Larrazabal, Ramsay and Renee Quijano, Haide Acuña, Joy Polloso, Boying Rodriguez, Allan Delantar, Mike Limpag, JR and Rovie Aguilon, just to mention a few.

Note: Watch out for the Cebu Lakandula Lions Club Roar to Grow 10K run at the Terraces on November 15 and the Running Mad II at Lahug on November 22. Registration is now ongoing at the PSC Office at Cebu City Sports Center, Zone 360 (back of Parkmall) and Casa Ilongga Robinsons Place.   (FREEMAN NEWS)