Bautista conquers Ilocos challenge anew

DESPITE running third in an earlier ultra-marathon race, Marcelo Bautista beat all odds to conquer the tough 2nd Ilocos Challenge, which started at the Laoag-Culili Point en route to Paoay, then back to Laoag City.

Bautista recorded a time of four hours and 23 minutes, 19 minutes slower than his time last year, when he also topped the 50-kilometer (50K) race passing through almost 12K of sand dunes.

“Mas mahirap ang rota ngayon. Pag daan namin sa sand dunes halos di na ko makatakbo kasi lumulubog yung paa ko,” said Bautista who won his ninth ultra-marathon race.

The 34-year-old contractual cleaner at the Baguio General Hospital raced in the 50K La Union Unity Marathon where he placed third behind another Baguio ultra-runner, Joel Bengtay.

LUUM–II SuperMarathon is the follow-up of the much successful 1st Annual La Union Unity Marathon or LUUM–1 which was held last February 25, 2012.

LUUM is derived from the Ilocano lingo that means “ripe” – the perfect term to coin the advocacy of iRunners which is to promote the Tourism of La Union.

The event is one way of telling to the rest of the world that La Union is “Ripe for Tourism.” Through the yearly conduct of LUUM, runners believe that the world discover its pristine yet unexplored grandeur and beauty.

Bautista then didn’t mind the five hour bus ride going to Laoag from San Fernando City just to join the Ilocos Challenge where he is the defending champion.

“Sinubukan ko lang ang sarili ko kung kaya ko pa. pwede pa akong makipagsabayan sa mga mas bata sa akin,” added Bautista.