LONG-DISTANCE specialist Elmer Bartolo of Calinan, Davao City, emerged as the men’s 16K champion in the Sante Barley Trilogy Run Asia-Davao Leg 1, held Sunday, March 23, 2024, at Azuela Cove, Lanang.
He clocked 57 minutes and 17 seconds, defeating Paul James Zafico (1:00:33) and Tom Zachary Mariano (1:07:00), who settled for second and third, respectively.
“Nakaloy-an ra ko sa Ginoo, Ma’am (I was just blessed by the Lord, Ma’am),” the 42-year-old Bartolo told SunStar Davao.
Bartolo secured his fourth championship in the trilogy run series since its launch in Davao City last year. In 2024, he won the 10K in Leg 1, the 21K in Leg 2, and another 10K in Leg 3. He skipped the national finals in Manila, citing a lack of budget for the trip.
“Happy kaayo koh mam Kay nkita nko nga nag improved akung ensayo tapos akung time ning baba. Wala ko ng expect nga mabiyaan nko sila kay daghan kusog pod (I'm very happy, Ma’am, because I saw that my training has improved, and my time has decreased. I didn't expect to pull ahead of them since many of them are also strong),” he added.
In the women’s 16K, May Angelie Mag-aso ruled with a time of 1:14:38, followed by Kara Marise Cortez (1:18:10) and Kalehlia Nikole Gonzales (1:21:46).
James David Mondejar Langca-ag dominated the men’s 10K in 37:08, outpacing Jimboy Lugay (38:02) and Ronel Daya (38:50).
Yahchevah Daligdig ruled the women’s 10K in 44:51, ahead of Erika Salomia (50:41) and Roxanne Boltiador (53:37).
In the 5K race, Freight Abraham Cabanig clocked 16:50 to win the men’s title, beating Clint Cutamora (19:15) and Rej Roxas (21:36).
Angeli Gonzales secured the women’s 5K crown in 28:06, edging out Jenesa Alagase (28:14) and Maria Ji-an Olivar (28:17).
KinetixSports chief Kenneth Sai said the event, presented by HOKA, drew 4,100 registrants, with 3,800 runners taking on the challenge.
The Trilogy Run Asia is designed to guide participants progressively from 5K to 42K, ensuring an injury-free journey.
For 2025, the series will feature 16 races across five cities nationwide, allowing runners to complete the three legs in a single city or across multiple locations. MLSA