In less than 6 moths since it opened in Davao City, RunClub has become more than just another shoe store for runners and other fitness enthusiasts in Davao City and nearby locales.
RunClub, through its Facebook account, has become an information hub for Davao City road races. It has served as a registration center for these races, and last Sunday, it went a notch higher by organizing its own event -RunClub-New Balance Challenge 2010- with New Balance as its main partner and Vantage Sports under Kenneth Sai handling race management.
I would have wanted to join this debut event of what has now become my favorite running specialty store, except that November 14 was my son's birthday and family activity was on top of the agenda for that day. I guess that was more than enough reason to forego having what fellow runners have described as one of the best-ever made singlets for a Davao City road race.
It was also more than a valid enough reason to miss experiencing a first in Davao City road racing - having a group of ladies cheer you on at the final water station as you run towards the finish about a kilometer or so away. I can only wonder what that would have felt like reading the comments at the RunClub FB page.
Fellow runners said hydration was also tops throughout the race course.
Following the successful staging of the RunClub-New Balance Challenge 2010, RunClub is already considering organizing another road race come January. Runners over here are already getting excited. If ever it does push through, this is one road race I would not want to miss.
Race results? Davao City's top running bets grabbed all podium honors. My writer friend Lito Delos Reyes of Scoop Davao filed this story:
Nerza, Ambasa dominate RunClub-New Balance run
By LITO DELOS REYES
LOCAL favorites Anthony Nerza and Monaliza Ambasa lived up to their top billing by ruling the RunClub-New Balance Challenge 2010 held Sunday in an out-and-back course at RunClub Davao this city.
Nerza of Brokenshire College clocked 32 minutes and one second to win the men’s open in the 10-kilometer foot race. He was followed in second by Tagum’s Junel Boncit at 32:45 while Joselito Dugos of Holy Cross of Davao College placed third with a flat time of 33 minutes.
Ambasa, now a resident of Toril, had a time of 39:53 to win the distaff side and also earned a gift certificate worth P5,000 plus an all-expenses paid trip to the Cebu City Marathon set on January 9.
“We will shoulder Nerza and Ambasa’s round trip air fare, entry fee and hotel accommodation in Cebu,” said organizer Monchit Mackay of Runclub Davao.
April Rose Diaz of Catalunan Pequeno settled for second at 42:16 followed in third by Toril’s May Love Briones (43:43).
Diaz and Briones went home with gift certificates worth P4,000 and P3,000, respectively.
In the 5K event, HCDC’s Brian Lupio (16:36) won the men’s category followed by Brokenshire’s Michael Ian Constantino (17:05) and Marco Polo’s Arnel Ambayon (23:07), while the top three female finishers were Brokenshire’s Cynthia Jaro (27:49), Holy Trinity-GenSan’s Evangeline Villanueva (28:40) and Beefit Gym aerobics instructor Vicky Javier (30:09).
The complete results of the race managed by Vantage Sports under Kenneth Sai were:
10K DIVISION -
(men) 1. Anthony Nerza (32:01) 2. Junel Boncit (32:45) 3. Joselito Dugos (33:00) 4. Gilbert Maluyo (33:17) 5. Arvie Macaneras (34:27) 6. Mario Ecalner (34:40) 7. Nolie Fabroa (35:14) 8. Philip Ocon (36:38) 9. Ronald Dagaang (37:38) 10. Jessie Lumansoc (38:06).
(women) 1. Monalisa Ambasa (39:53) 2. April Rose Diaz (42:16) 3. May Love Briones (43:43) 4. Emily Avegonzado (43:45) 5. Criselyn Jaro (44:46) 6. Maureen Kimbrough (48:16) 7. Joy Mawalic (52:11) 8. Michelle Tomaroy (52:32) 9. Keilah Rodriguez (52:34) 10. Tiny Buenaventura (53:33).
5K DIVISION –
(men) 1. B. Lupio (16:36) 2. M. Constantino (17:05) 3. A. Ambayon (23:07) 4. Reynaldo Dagohoy (23:23) 5. Adonis de Guzman (23:49)
(women) – 1. C. Jaro (27:49) 2. E. Villanueva (28:40) 3. V. Javier (30:09) 4. Melanie Penaflor (31:04) 5. Regina Reyes (31:07)
14 YEARS OLD & UNDER –
(male) 1. Willy James Itoc (22:42) 2. Jomar Rasay (23:02) 3. John Nicholes Salguero (23:18); (female) 1. Cellie Rose Jaro (22:29) 2. Gabrielle Castillo (28:05)
(Photos from RunClub Davao, Joey Y. Fernandez)
