Cebu runners will see a familiar face wearing race bib no. 1 in this Sunday’s Cebu City Marathon—Kenyan missionary Simon Losiaboi.
Losiaboi, who has won all the races in Cebu that he joined since he arrived here late last year, will be running his first full marathon this Sunday. Being the only Cebu-based top Kenyan runner, organizer Meyrick Jacalan of the Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC) said they will be assigning race bib no. 1 to Losiaboi.
CEBU CITY MARATHON organizers with Cebu’s top runners (from left): Perl Jacalan, Meyrick Jacalan, Mary Grace delos Santos, Simon Losiaboi, John Pages and CERC president Jesse Taborada. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARLEN LIMPAG)Losiaboi told reporters gathered in Mooon Cafe in Ayala Center Cebu yesterday that he is “not really confident” with winning the race because he is not used to the distance. He said he has no target time to finish the race.
Losiaboi said he only trained for the distance in just one month—running on the roads in Cebu and the two Mandaue-Mactan bridges and doing speed work in the Cebu City Sports Center track oval.
Losiaboi and top Cebu-based female runner Mary Grace delos Santos were presented by organizers Meyrick Jacalan, Perl Jacalan, John Pages and CERC president Jessie Taborada to reporters in a press conference yesterday afternoon.
Delos Santos, who has won all the races she joined in Cebu since she started running here in October 2008, returned to Zamboanga over the holidays to train in the mountains with her trainer Mohsherwin Managil.
Managil said they decided to go home because had they stayed in Cebu, they would have been tempted to join the weekly fun runs in the city and get diverted from their training.
Delos Santos, whose best 42K time is 3 hours and 11 minutes, will be facing stiff competition from Aileen Tolentino, who finished in top spot in her back-to-back outings in the Quezon City International Marathon and the Subic International Marathon. Tolentino was the top Filipina finisher in Quezon City in October while delos Santos was second. Six days later, Tolentino finished third in Subic.
TOP RUNNERS. Reporters interview Cebu’s top female runner Mary Grace delos Santos and Kenyan missionary Simon Losiaboi during a press conference in Mooon Cafe in Ayala Center Cebu. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARLEN LIMPAG)Among the top Kenyan runners expected this Sunday is David Kipsang, who finished 8th in the Subic International Marathon. He will be running the 42K event with compatriots Willy Tanui and Kimber Keberes. Susan Chepkwony will be running in the women’s 42K event.
Kenyans Willy Rotich and Jonathan Cheboi will run in the 21K event.
Jacalan said that as of yesterday, 500 runners have signed up for the full marathon while 750 have registered for the 21K event. At least 1,900 runners have registered for the 5K event.
Organizers have extended the registration for 5K because they don’t need to close it early since runners in the event will not be using timing chips, Jacalan said.
Pages said the 42K race will start at 4 a.m., the 21K at 5:10 a.m. and the 5K at 5:30 a.m. Pages also said a pre-race pasta party will be held at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu on Friday at 6 p.m.
