Romnick Teh nipped Wilfred Lelina, Jr. to capture the premiere 21 kilometer run of the 1st Sub Zero Challenge at the Baguio Country Club last Sunday.
Teh, from Baler, Aurora, clocked one hour 24 minutes and 56 seconds to take the top podium and beat Lelina by only two seconds of what could be yet the city’s best running event yet which attracted some 500 runners and came after two years of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rey Mark Quezada, one of the upcoming top obstacle course race athlete, took third place after clocking 1:28:57.
Elizabeth Dangadan did not literally have a walk in the park as she was strongly challenged by Isabel Quipse but still emerged as the top female runner when she clocked 1:51:15. The bridesmaid checked in at 1:51:23, or eight seconds behind, while Edeliza Demot took third podium after clocking 2:00:18.
Ultra marathoner Marcelo Bautista, who used to be a janitor at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center before quitting to pursue his running career, finished 27th over-all and even behind the top two female runners at 1:55:06.
Radio technician Cresente Isican clocked 2:00:15 and came in 31st over-all.
Lawyer Isagani Liporado of the Baguio city legal office, clocked 2:21:39 and 73rd over-all, while his former team mate at the Baguio Colleges Foundation (University of the Cordilleras) men’s basketball team and now Alphaland manager Alexander Cenzon, came in 43rd at 2:04:42.
Some 109 runners, male and female, joined the 21 K run that took runners past the Philippine Military Academy, Kias then the Itogon Road leading to Philex Mines and back.
Vinzon Ramos needed just 37:42 to rule the 10K run that attracted 209 runners.
Richard Protn was a close second after clocking 38:04, or 22 seconds behind while another 49 seconds behind was top female runner Cielo Penaflor at 38:53.
Taking third podium in the men’s side was Karl Basto who finished at 39:01.
Back to back Mount Kilimanjaro top female runner and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games OCR gold winner Sandi Menchi Abahan came in as the second best female runner at 41:20, which was the fifth best time over-all in the category.
Completing the podium in the female side was Pauline Taasa who clocked 45:44 and the seventh best time. The top three female runners were among the top 10 finishers of the category.
Meanwhile, 78 year old and retired police colonel Brigilio Balaba clocked 1:15:34 and finished 145th over-all.
Samuel Bango needed 23:06 to finish the 5K run and was actually unchallenged with Mikhail Johann Koh Pagaduan coming in more than eight minutes behind, while TJ Balonglong third place after clocking 32:47.
Aezra Indra Liporada, daughter of running lawyer, finished fourth over-all among the 28 runners in the category, at 32:50 and the best female runner.
Ashely Padawil took the silver medal in the female side after clocking 34:04, the fifth best over-all, while Aireen Francisco clocked 48:13 to complete the podium, the ninth best over-all.
Completing the top 10 was another female,Rael James Aspurias, at 48:20.
Ralph Valenzuela took the top podium in the 3K category with a time of 17:20 with two females right behind him.
Some 500 runners are expected to see action this Sunday at the Sub Baguio.
Stephen Felices of the organizing Team Malaya said the runners took the route leading to Kias and the Itogon Road and back to the Baguio Country Club area, which actually co-organized the event.
The event backed by Active Gears Ph, Coros, R.O.X., Good Taste Restaurant and Fitbar is one of the longer runs in the city.
Meanwhile, Team Malaya is also gearing for the Baguio City Foundation Marathon on September 4 as part of the city’s 113th Charter Day celebration.
The event will have for the first time the People’s Park or Malcolm Square as the start and finish line. The square houses the bust of Justice George Malcolm who wrote the city’s charter leading to its foundation in September 1, 1909.
Felices said that they also expect 500 runners in the half marathon event co-organized by Team Baguio Marathon that will have the Loakan Road and Kennon Road as route.
Registration is on-going for the Baguio Half Marathon which is staged in cooperation with goodr, Feetures and Altra. Pigeon Lobien
