Desuyo earns late birthday gift, wins Pasig City half-marathon

Rene Desuyo earned a late birthday gift when he topped the Pasig City Running Club’s (PCRC) Takbo para sa Kalusugan Year 11 on Sunday at the PhilSports Complex (formerly ULTRA). Desuyo, who turned 23 on Thursday, submitted a one-hour and 22-minute time in the 21-kilometer event to win the men’s event of the PCRC’s premier half-marathon event. He bested Ronald Despi and Melbert Nabuag. “It was a tough route," said Desuyo of Bacolod City when asked why he posted a slow time in the tournament where he bested 751 other runners. Desuyo, who won the 2009 Metro Manila eliminations of the 33rd National Milo Marathon, crossed the finish line alone as he posted a three-minute lead over Despi (1:25:00) and almost a four-minute lead against Nabuag (1:25:54). Rounding up the Top 10 finishers were Angel delos Santos (1:27:00), Caloocan North Runners Club president Joselito Peñaranda (1:31:00), Nelmer Cator (1:40:00), Eric Gonzales (1:41:00), Ronelo Ibutnadi (1:43:00), Diosdado Macuja III (1:43:26) and Joseph Alqueza (1:43:48). In the women’s event, 47-year-old Sylvia Buendia of the JG Summit Running Club, Inc. won the race (2:01:38). Henry Bon Jr. (39:56) won the men’s 10k event followed by Ricky Acosta of Runners’ Link (40:53), Joselito Reyes of The Fort Striders Club, Inc. (41:08), Mark Anthony Evangelista (42:30), Edgar Tanierla (45:39), Jessie Sacayle (45:39), RL bet Ben de Villa (47:46), Robert Garcia (51:14), Cirpiano Revilla (51:22) and Marcial Varunque (53:23). Divine Grace Tapit, the president of the University of the Philippines Los Baños-Makiling Campus Runners, topped the women’s 10k with a time of 45:31. Other top finishers in event were Perlita Roben (48:45), VirginiaBaltazar of CNRC (54:22), Merlyn Quillo (56:40), Emma Gabriel (1:03:02), Iluminada Pangosban (1:10:55), Imelda Tan (1:14:35), Rose Yang (1:22:09), Eden Manuel (1:26:46) and Eden Manuel (1:30:29). In the men’s 5k event, Nelson Elijiran (18:32) led other top finishers Medel Dique (19:43), Christopher Molines (20:11), Edward Cabilen (20:59) and Aldrin Canubas (22:25). Carmela Sugalan (23:21) led the top finishers in the women’s side with Grace dela Torre (25:20), UPLB-MacRunners VP-internal Chndyli Rogel (26:52), Ma. Luisa Dolnuan (27:24) and Grace Lara (27:44) rounding the Top 5 finishers. – Perry Legaspi, GMANews.TV