Night race held in Dagupan City

DAGUPAN CITY -- The De Venecia Expressway at Barangay Lucao was beautifully lit with small running lights early evening Saturday, as hundreds of people joined the province's first running event - the Energizer Night Race.

The participants, composed of families, group friends, officemates and marathoners from Pangasinan and nearby provinces, started flocking to the CSI Citymall grounds Saturday afternoon for the holding of the event.

Abe, a Filipino-Chinese resident of Dagupan, said his family joined the race just for fun. A lot of his friends also joined the race together with their respective families.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. also sent participants from the different departments. Among those spotted at the assembly area were Provincial Sports Director Modesto Operana, Provincial Tourism Officer Malou Elduayan, and Dr. King Orduna from the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital.

The local government of Rosales also sent runners holding the town's banner -- Ibtor Challenge, which is a swim-run-bike-run competition held every December.

The Panda Firefighters of Dagupan City also had their own contingent, while about 40 runners from the All City Runners Group of Baguio City - some of them clad in Igorot costume - participated in the race.

The holding of the Energizer Night Race is actually the third time in the country, with the GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc. as partner. The event was first held in Cebu, then in Davao.

Energizer Product Brand Manager Joan Mendoza and Product Manager Fritzie Lee both said that they chose Dagupan City as venue of the third leg because of its strategic location in Northern Luzon.

At 7 p.m., all of the more than 2,000 runners wearing Energizer headlights converged at the starting point, waiting for the gun start.

The race started at 8 p.m. with the 10-kilometer participants running first, followed by the 5-kilometer racers, then by the 3-kilometer runners.

Former national sprint athlete Nancy Navalta, who is working at the University of Luzon as athletics coach, was very happy as all her four runners placed at the different categories they participated in.

They are Marivic Casipit, who place second in the 3K-women with 00:08:57 clock; Eubese Cacho, who placed third in the 3K-male (00:07:14 time); Merdiliza Disu, second placer in the 5K-female category with 00:18:33 clock; and Roselyn Marie Buton, who finished third in the 10K-female in 00:43:25 time

Warlito Acosta Sr., a fireman from Moncada, Tarlac, was also happy as one of his five children who joined him in the night race finished third in the 3K-women.

His 14-year-old daughter Shane Acosta placed third in the 3K-women. His other children who joined the race were James (20 years old), Cindy (13), Cecillynn (11) and Warlito Jr. (5).

The following are the winners in the different categories:

3K female: 1st place - Augustina Anganayon (00:08:30); Casipit of UL (second), and Acosta (third).

3K male: 1st place - Arthur Garidon (00:06:54); 2nd place - Joel Bengtay (00:07:11); and Cacho of UL.

5K female: 1st place - Flordeliza Donos (00:16:33); Disu (second), and 3rd place - Michelle Anne Tibagacay of Fitness Edge-SM City Baguio City (00:19:18).

5K male: 1st place - Ferdinand Corpuz (00:13:45); 2nd place - Kiyen Areglado (00:13:47); and 3rd place - Jerald de Asis (00:14:08).

10K female: 1st place - Luisa Raterte (00:40:39); 2nd place - Geralden Sealza (00:41:10); and Buton.

10K male: 1st place - Irinio Racquin (00:33:33); 2nd place - Alley Quisay (00:34:15); and 3rd place - Rogelio Sarmiento (00:35:10).

Special awards were given to the Mangaldan contingent (biggest group with 84 runners) and three-year-old Gabriel Biagtan of San Jacinto town (youngest runner).

A special award was also given to the oldest runner and to the runner with the best costume. (LCMY/Sunnex)