Top Cebu-based runner Mary Grace delos Santos placed second in the half-marathon women’s open in last Sunday’s Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon in Malaysia.

Delos Santos, who has dominated Cebu races ever since she relocated here from Zamboanga, finished her 21K run in 1:26:13, 3 minutes behind the winner, Kenyan Eunice Nyawira Muchiri, who finished with a time of 1:23:20.

MARY GRACE IN KL. Top Cebu-based runner Mary Grace delos Santos at the starting line of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. (CONTRIBUTED FOTO)

Delos Santos finished ahead of Malaysian Noor Amelia Bt. Musa (1:28:58), Kenyan Jepleting Maiyo (1:29:30), Kenyan Irine Jeptoo Kipchumba (1:29:49) and German Janna Hinz (1:32:03).

Delos Santos’ trip to Kuala Lumpur was sponsored by specialty running store Runnr, which has been supporting her. Runnr founder Roberto “Toby” Claudio, Jr. first met delos Santos when he went to the store to show it to Cebu reporters and bloggers during last year’s soft opening.

GRACE, RENZE. Mary Grace delos Santos with Renze Banawa of Runnr. (CONTRIBUTED FOTO)

Since that meeting, Claudio has been sponsoring delos Santos.

Through Claudio, delos Santos became an endorser of Newton Running shoes, which is exclusively distributed by Runnr.

In last Sunday’s KL Marathon, serial marathoner and Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera finished his 7th full marathon while businessman Jonathan “Atan” Guardo completed his 5th full marathon.