Midnight express

How do you stop tradition? No, you can’t. Last Dec. 13 at the stroke of midnight, over 300 runners pounded the avenues of the Cebu Business Park. It was the eight staging of the Cebu Midnight Run, the only race staged in the country at midnight. As predicted Kenyan Simon Losiaiboi made it a virtual walk in the park as he again and made the local runners eat dust, clocking a fast 16:01. Earlier that Saturday, Simon went to see me at Casa Ilongga in Robinsons Place to register. At that moment, I was looking at a beautiful Italian trophy sponsored by Josie Uy of Stocks R’ Us. Josie said that it’s worth 5,000. I also asked Simon what prize he wanted and he said his mobile phone is kind of obsolete. So just like a genie from Alladin’s lamp, I told him his wish would come true in a couple of hours. Of course the top prize was a cellular phone sponsored by Sun Cellular through Ariel Lianza and Lala Cervantes. So at the awarding ceremonies at the Veranda of City Sports Club, Simon got his wish, a hi-tech phone with a camera. When it rain it pours, so when we raffled the top prize, a Rudy Project sunglasses, guess who won? Simon!

Some guys have all the luck. The rest of the top ten in the men’s division are Mendel Lopez (16:44), 3rd Philip Duenas (16:56), 4th Joebert Carolino (17:51), 6th Paul James Zapico (19:07), 7th Tomas Nuñez (19:53) 8th Chris Burdette (20:02) 9th Brandon Bon (20:33) and 10th Arnold Suarez. In the women’s division, Mary Grace Delos Santos, fresh from winning the Davao Marathon the week earlier, took the title in 19:13 while Leszl Getaruelas and Mary Joy Tabal placed second and third in 20:47 and 21:55 respectively. The rest of the top ten are, 4th Mila Tanudtanud (25:22), 5th Florence Mata (27:28), 6th Suzette Montalban (27:42), 7th Roselle Baldevieso (28:26), 8th Virgie Rodriguez (29:25), 9th Irene Lou Llego (30:01), and 10th Marlen Limpag (30:10.)

More Supporters

The race got a boost this year with the entry of more sponsors, Rudy Project now being handled by German sportsman Jens Funk gave out eye wears to the winners. Jens also said he has run in the second midnight run years ago and asked me to plan events for Rudy Project next year. Well, I told Jens Rudy has been supporting me for close to ten years now, so I’ve been thinking of organizing a big triathlon and a series of footraces next year. Also this year, Mark Laus of Castrol gave out a lot of prizes including jackets and caps. Mark and wife Jing were with the Cebuano contingent to the recent Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. And finally, Metrografix, under Jung Cases who’s been supporting Mary Grace Delos Santos and Philip Duenas. Jung made the collaterals at the starting line including the directional signs. Did you notice the start and finish arc?

SPONSORS

A million thanks to City Sports Club Cebu under Micmic Solon and Rey Fuentes II for continuing the tradition. Cebu holdings Inc. for providing the midnight snacks, Waterfresh Drinking Water, my partner in all the races, Prycegas, Island Grill Express, The Freeman/Banat News, Holiday Gym and Spa and Cebu Business Park Administration. “Dam gid nga salamat sa” Aguilon Construction through JR and Rovie Aguilon, Seiko Watches, Casa Ilongga and Leona’s Cakes through the much-improved Jane Jane Ong and most of all to Arthro of Atan Guardo for the singlets and to those whose names escape us for the moment, “DAGHANG SALAMAT!”

Singapore Marathon

I’ll be writing about the Cebu contingent’s experience in the 2009 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in my next column. The group included Atan and Clarrisa Guardo, Jeson and Lovena Guardo, Genito Guardo, Joel and Audrey Garganera, Mark and Jing Laus, Boying Rodriguez, Arnold Palma, Alan and Jennifer Delantar and me. We were joined in Singapore by Ramsay and Renee Quijano and Singapore-based Cebuano architect Duever Durano.

NOTE:

My last column was riddled with a lot of errors after the unedited e-mail was erroneously sent, my apologies.   (FREEMAN NEWS)