Kenyans dominate Subic International Marathon

OLONGAPO CITY – Kenyan runners continued their dominance in the international marathon cricuit. This time, they stamped their class in the third edition of the Subic International Marathon as Frederick Mongiro topped Sunday’s grueling 42-kilometer race that started and ended at the Remy Field inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). Picking up from where his compatriots Nelson Kirwa Rotich and Vincent Kipchirchir Chepsiror left off, Mongiro joined his two countrymen as champions of the SIM. Rotich topped the inaugural staging of this international event while Chepsiror was last year's winner. Mongiro completed the race in two hours, 23 minutes and 57 seconds to lead another Kenyan sweep in the annual footrace that organizers dubbed as the cleanest, greenest and safest in the country. Mongiro bagged the champion's purse of P20,000. Another Kenyan, Eluid Kering, came in nearly five minutes behind the winner. He checked in at 2:28:35 and settled for the runner-up honors worth P10,000. Kering's time was just seven seconds ahead of compatriot Daniel Koringo at 2:28:42, who placed third and secured P5,000. But Kenya's dominance also spilled over in the distaff side. Peris Poywo won the 42-K women's race after submitting a time of 3:25:50 and clinching the P20,000 champion’s prize. “It was a good win for me since this is my first time to compete in the Philippines and here at the Subic Marathon. I did not expect to win since there are other strong runners, but I went all out early to get a good lead against my opponents," said Poywo, who is in her third year of competitive running. Poywo added the cool climate was also a big help for all runners since it was not too hot when they were pounding SBMA’s pavement. The runners negotiated the course that has the Camayan Resort as the U-turn slot “I’ll be back to defend my title. The race was okay and organizers made sure there was a water station in every 1.5 kilometers. That plus the weather helped the runners," added Poywo when asked of her plans next year. Unlike in the men's side, local runners Laila Bartolome and Zepora Dalang challenged Poywo for the women’s crown. Bartolome settled for second with a time of 4:48:23 while Dalang placed third with a time of 4:46:54. “Poywo)is really strong. She had already made the turn and was heading back to Remy Field while we were just making our way to Camaya resort," said Dalang, who also competed in the 21-kilometer event of the 2010 Milo Marathon. Dalang said that having foreign runners, most notably the Kenyans, is a good thing for local races. “It helps local runners to develop since we are challenged to beat or match their running skills," Eduardo Buenavista, the country's premier long-distance runner, joined the 21-K event and ruled it in dominating fashion. He checked in with a time of 1:10:17. Kenyan Irine Kipchumba duplicated the feat in the women's class (1:18:58). Both runners received P10,000 each. Eric Panique (1:12:20) and Luisa Raterta (1:30:25) placed second in their respective divisions to earn P5,000 each. Roy Vinse (1:13:46, P3,000) and Miscelle Guilbuena (1:34:00, P2,500) came in third in the men's and women's classes. The top three finishers in the men's 10-K event were John Chicano (34:18, P5,000); August Benedicto (34:23, P2,500) and Fremarik Gayamat (34:33, P1,250), while Janice Matbagan (44:02, P5,000), May Benedicto (47:52, P2,500) and Margie Sorita (49:00, P1,250) were the top three women runners of this division. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV