Davao City’s Elmer Bartolo surged to victory in the men’s 21K race at the Grab Super Takbo 2025–Davao on Saturday, November 9, held on an out-and-back course at the Davao Global Township (DGT), adding another title to his growing collection.
The 44-year-old Calinan native crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 39 seconds, beating the 1:18 he posted at the Hoka Midnight Run Asia Davao.
"Kundisyon ko atong sa Grab (I was in great shape for the Grab race)," he told SunStar Davao in a Messenger interview Monday, November 10.
Edgar Gabais Gabucay (1:22:09) and Reymar Taleon (1L27:29) finished second and third, respectively.
Bartolo recalled, "Pag start, Ma'am nag-pace rako sa akung target nga time.. Training lang gyud sa club runbart maong nindot akung time karon (At the start, I paced myself according to my target time. It was really just training with the club run, which is why I was able to post a good time today)."
When asked to whom he dedicated his win, Bartolo said his family remains his greatest motivation.
"Para sa akong pamilya, Ma'am nag support pirme sa akong mga dula ug kay Lord. Kaluy-an ko pirme sa akong mga event walay injury ug sakit beseg idaran nata, 44 na (I’m grateful to my family, who always supports me in every race, and to the Lord. Even at 44, I’ve been able to finish events without injuries or illness)."
Bartolo’s latest triumph follows a string of recent wins, including the 12K title at the Grand Mall Run on October 5, and 21K victories at the DCACI Run (October 12) and Puma Run (October 19).
In the women’s 21K, Aslia Hadji Nassef crossed first in 1:41:58, ahead of Noreen Alyssa Te (1:49:05) and Nelly Joy Palorma (1:59:25).
In the 10K races, John Kenneth Tadle won the men’s division in 35:53, edging John Camenero (36:51) and Eliezer Putong Cariñosa (38:12). Deenrave Rodriguez dominated the women’s 10K with a 52:07 finish, narrowly beating Ayhra Mae Lovitos (52:16) and Viah Dumadag (53:53).
Other category winners included Justine Alboroto, Mark James Agudo, and Rj Lumboy in the men’s 5K; Yvet June Palazuelo, Hiromi Takeda, and Angelica Kaye Espe in the women’s 5K; Jomar Echebira, Gelo Bana, and Lance Soliva in the men’s 3K; and Kezeah Canada, Angelica Mae Dale, and Monique Reyes in the women’s 3K.
The race was managed by RunRio and locally organized by Kinetix Sports of Dabawenyo Kenneth Sai. MLSA