Veteran long distance runners Eugene Delposo and Leizel Getaruelas topped the MOVE 5-K Run yesterday at the Provincial Capitol grounds.
Delposo paced the almost 500 runners who answered the starting gun at around 6:30 am and crossed the finish line in 15 minutes 48 seconds. His brother, Joel Delposo, placed second by submitting a time of 15 minutes and 53 seconds. Finishing third was John Philipp Duenas with a time of 16.06.
Leizel Getaruelas stamped her class in the women’s division, topping the race with a time of 19 minutes flat. The Cebuana long distance runner is fresh from her 6th place finish in the 31st National Marathon.
Mary Jane Beboso with 19.36 clocking finished second while Joery Lee with 20.07, was third.
Keith Roguero finished first among the six participants in the wheelchair category with Arnold Caballero and Antonio Abatol placed second and third, respectively.
The first three finishers in the men and women divisions received P3,000, P2,000, and P1,000, respectively. The top three finishers in the wheelchair category got P1,500, P1,000, and P500, for their effort.
Completing the fourth to tenth placers in the men’s division were Ian Bernido, Adonis Singson, Ramil Lumindas, Heronisio Padilla, Mark Dumpe, Abdul Sinal and Jesus Baculi.
The fourth to tenth finishers in the women’s side were Michelle Gilbuena, Haziel Retavale, Marieta Balangue, Angela Perez, Cynthia Arnaiz, Grace Bautista and Consuelo De Gracia.
The Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) under its chairman Dr. Renald Ramiro, organized the race in commemoration of the International Day of the Disabled Persons today, December 3.
The sponsors of the race include Pfizer, Roche, Y101, Waterfresh Purified Drinking Water, Casa Ilongga, Pharma 3 Company, Eli Lilly, Patriot and Southwestern University, Metrografix, Cebu Doctors University, Advance Rehab Care, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cebu Orthopedic Institute, Chong Hua Hospital, Hi-Easai, Janssen, Waterfront Hotel, SV More, Wyeth, Biomedis, MSD, Norvatis, Servier, Pepsi Cola, Rottapharm, the Philippine Sports Commission and the FREEMAN.
Raffy Uytiepo, a veteran runner, race organizer and the Freeman’s sports columnist, directed the race. — Marigold P. Lebumfacil