Midnight Express

The sixth edition of the Cebu Midnight 5K Run finally took off midnight of Sunday at the City Sports Club Cebu after being postponed to accommodate another race that never happened. Scheduled every second week of December, the race now backed by Arthro, was fired off by City Sports Club Cebu general manager Micmic Solon assisted by sports manager Rey Fuentes. Earlier, Rey and I were thinking of canceling the race since it would lose momentum with people taking it easy after the holidays. But tradition won in the end. So as the cliché goes "the show must go on". Cebu's elite and fun runners rose to the occasion. Former champion Mendel Lopez of USPF made it anew to the winner's podium when he edged up and coming Joel Delposo to grab the crown. Lopez of Sta. Catalina, Neg. Oriental clocked 15:59 to frustrate Delposo who timed 16:00. Reprinel Banzon, son of my former teammate Ruth in the Nike Running Club, the country's winningest team in marathon history, wound up third in 17:07. The distaff side action was likewise exciting with undisputed queen of the road, Leszl Getaruelas barely escaping future track star Sheena Gacayan to annex her second straight title. Getaruelas registered a 19:49 to thwart Gacayan who took second in 19:53. Mary Rose Arman, another runner to watch settled for third in 20:07. Madelyn Carter repulsed a last ditch sprint of 2006 Kota Kinabalu Climbathon sixth placer Merlita Arias (A former Midnight run champion), to place fourth in 21:07. Actually, Arias submitted the same clocking but lost technically. The rest of the top ten in the women's division just showed the emergence of under-15 runners. Jennifer Montero, 13 was sixth in 23:50 while Cindy Cabajar and 12-year-old Angelina Barcona were ninth and tenth in 26:20 and 27:21 respectively. As in the past, the race was spiced with foreign flavor led by Briton Simmon Timmins, who took seventh place despite an injury. The other foreigners were Tony Jarman also of Great Britain, Anthony Hutzler and New York City chef John Cline. The race also saw several doctors strutting their wares. The list included Yong Larrazabal, Peter Mancao, Vic Verallo, Tito Macarasig, Brian Canton, Nicole Chua and Romy Letigio.

Thank You

As usual, we would like to thank our sponsors who made our race successful. To Cebu Holdings Inc. VP Sales and Marketing Tetta Baad for the midnight snacks, City Sports Club Cebu Gen. Manager Micmic Solon for continuing the tradition, Lilio Lim of Waterfresh Drinking Water who never fails to provide hydration in every race, Jonathan and Gerry Guardo who are promoting Arthro the number-one supplement that combats arthritis while providing the singlets as well. Harry Mann also gave out Rudy Project products. Many thanks to Josie Uy of Stocks R Us for the beautiful Italian trophies, The Freeman and Banat News through GM Boy Mendoza, Nene Bascon of Island Grill Express, Dexter Agbas of Carlo Rossi and Casa Ilongga at Robinsons Place. We would also like to thank PSC's Audie Marte and Lerma Binarao and Precing Capangpangan and his race officials. Who could forget the assistance of Rey Fuentes and his staff? And to those whose names escape us for the moment "Madamo Gid nga Salamat".

Note: The new date of the Cebu Sinulog Marathon will be on February 18, 2007. Registration is now ongoing at the PSC office at the Cebu City Sports Center, c/o Audie Marte tel # 255-0090. Entry forms are also available at Casa Ilongga Robinsons Place.