The ultra cheat I wrote about last week called up race organizer Raffy Uytiepo last Friday and admitted riding a vehicle on part of the route of the 1st Cebu Ultramarathon 50K last Nov. 27. He apologized to Raffy and Jonel and returned his finisher’s plate.
Uytiepo was in the Sun.Star office when the person called up to say that he was in Casa Ilongga, which is owned by the race organizer, to return his plate.
Is everything okay, then?
SOMEONE cheated during the 1st Cebu Ultramarathon last Nov. 27. He rode a habal-habal (motorcycle for hire) twice and an SUV once for long stretches of the route.
He finished within the cutoff time and upon reaching Capitol, made a show of being tired. Like he actually ran 50 kilometers.
I first learned of it when I overheard the runner’s teammates talk among themselves about how the person rode a habal-habal.
I have since confirmed it with a source I trust, who also got confirmation from several people. I have also gotten reports from other people who saw a runner ride a vehicle in the route.
FINISH LINE AT THE CAPITOL. Frontrunner staff members prepare the finish line of the 1st Cebu Ultramarathon at the Capitol in Cebu City. (PHOTO BY JAMES GO)
I cannot understand a person who would cheat in a road race, much more an ultra-marathon. It’s not as if we get a prize for finishing it. All we got at the finish line in Capitol was a commemorative plate, T-shirt and a food pack. The run—the entire 50 kilometers—itself was the reward.
What the cheat did insulted the running community. He actually finished earlier than Brian Padilla, an Ungo Runner who was on the verge of giving up but decided to continue because he left his emergency money with one of the support vehicles.
HOW do you run 50 kilometers in the challenging terrain of Balamban? You don’t. That’s a lesson runners learned Saturday in the historic 1st Cebu Ultramarathon 50K. It wasn’t so much the distance as the terrain and heat that knocked the wind out of many runners.
The elevation data gathered by GPS watches participants used during the race looks like a linear representation of a mountain range. We were, after all, running on the mountains. At the start, the elevation was 971 meters, at the finish line it was a mere 30 meters.
Those that practiced running the route earlier knew that unless you were among the elite runners and in top physical condition, you shouldn’t try running the very steep C Highway in Barangay Cansumoroy.
CRAMPS. Dr. Willie Estepa falls after suffering leg cramps near the Ungo aid station in Barangay Busay. Fellow Ungo Runners Michelle So, Sun.Star executive editor, and Federico Garganera rush to his aid. CLICK TO ENLARGE (PHOTO BY ALLAN DEFENSOR OF SUN.STAR CEBU)
The race started with a short ceremony at about 5:30 a.m. near the bust of former president Ramon Magsaysay on Mt. Manunggal. Frontrunner publisher Jonel Mendoza, race organizer Raffy Uytiepo, Balamban Councilor Dave Karamihan and Philippine ultrarunning icon Jovie “Bald Runner” Narcise gave short talks before the 180 plus runners assembled near the cottage about 200 meters away for the start of the race.
At gun start, the elite runners darted off like they were running a mere 10K. The rest of us mortals stayed behind, enjoying the fantastic view in Manunggal.
I ran with serial marathoner Joel Garganera, who was legally bound to finish the race—the Tinago barangay councilor had arranged to take his oath of office before runner Judge Ester Veloso at the finish line in Capitol. Days before the ultra-marathon, he said he told Judge Veloso to be there from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. I told him it was a contempt order waiting to happen. He later said he texted Judge Veloso to be there later.
At several points of the race we ran with Jonel Mendoza, Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino manager Hembler Mendoza, Be Resorts Mactan general manager Garry Garcia, ultra-marathoner Haide Acuña, former congressional candidate Atan Guardo, Jeson Guardo and Ironwoman Annie Neric.
There was a hint of panic in the normally impassive face of Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Meinrado Paredes when we met at JY Square in Barangay Lahug last Saturday afternoon.
Judge Paredes, a veteran outdoorsman, was in climbing gear. The judge regularly climbs mountains, including Mt. Manunggal, and volunteered to guide Ungo Runners there after hearing we planned to run on Sunday part of the route of the 1st Cebu Ultramarathonfrom Mt. Manunggal to Capitol in Cebu City.
ON MT. MANUNGGAL AT 5 A.M., visibility is less than five feet even with headlamps on. (From left) Twinkle Ignacio, Max Limpag, Daryl Igot, Tito Vildosola, Gabby Lariosa, Dr. Willie Estepa and Judge Meinrado Paredes. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
I, on the other hand, had never spent a night on a mountain (despite being born at the foot of one) and had clueless painted all over—wearing skimpy running shorts, a running shirt made of thin, porous, sweat-wicking fabric and a cycling backpack containing a notebook, ballpens, my wife’s tie-dye shawl, a headlamp and an extra pair of socks.
I was carrying a folded (not rolled) blanket on one hand and a rolled yoga mat, a plastic bag containing bottled water, trail mix, toiletries and another plastic bag of McDonald’s cheeseburger meal with extra-large fries on the other hand.
“Mao lang na imong dala (Is that all you’re bringing there)?” he asked. When I said yes, he was quick to say not to worry because he had extra jackets, sleeping bags and a tent. I didn’t know enough to worry. He then proceeded to check several large bags containing climbing gear at the back of his pickup.
In hindsight, I think he must have asked himself, “How could this kid survive out there?”
Frontrunner publisher and ultra-marathoner Jonel Mendoza will open the registration for the 1st Cebu Ultramarathon 50K on Nov. 27 before his talk during the Ungo Friday Night Run on Aug. 20. The ultramarathon is limited only to 100 runners.
Mendoza will be in Cebu on Aug. 20 to promote the 50-kilometer run from Mt. Manunggal in Balamban town to the Capitol in Cebu City.
At 11 a.m., he will be interviewed live over radio station y101. Y101 president Jack Jakosalem said they will be accepting questions from listeners during the interview. Those outside Cebu can listen to the interview at the Y101 website.
TEASER IMAGE. The teaser image of the first ultramarathon in Cebu.