She covered the last 300 meters to the finish line within the automotive speed limit but at a combustive endgame 18 kph before collapsing at the finish line in a guttural scream.

“Aaahhh!!!” her victory cry a shriek of pain. Tolentino snatched the Cebu City Marathon Women’s 42K crown from Mary Grace delos Santos in the final minute and paid for it with a body racked by cramps.

SHE GAVE HER ALL. Aileen Tolentino collapses after winning the Cebu City Marathon 42K Women’s event. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTO BY IGI MAXIMO OF PabolFC.com)

The celebration would come later.

Three hours, 15 minutes and 30 seconds from starting her run, Tolentino lay screaming in agony, her head saved from slamming into the pavement by race organizer Meyrick Jacalan. Thirteen seconds later, delos Santos crossed the finish line, buried her face in her hands, and leaned slightly on pacer Elmer Bartolo.

Until that 20 kph traffic sign, you’d have thought the race was delos Santos’s to take.

Delos Santos, the top female runner in Cebu, built an early lead at the South Road Properties, running at least a minute ahead of her long-standing rival. Someone who saw the two runners there said he thought Tolentino was done for, lagging behind a still fresh-looking delos Santos.

But near the Bureau of Internal Revenue office in Banilad, Tolentino already caught up with delos Santos. With their teammates and pacers, the two ran in a pack.

“Ayawg bira! Untol lang, untol” Bartolo told delos Santos at the downhill portion of Escario St. Let the momentum carry you forward, he said, “let your feet bounce.”

With more than two kilometers to go, the runners were taking stock of what’s left in them to expend in a final burst of speed to the finish line.

Delos Santos was withdrawn, her eyes permanently fixed on a spot about 10 meters ahead. Her stride rhythmic and effortless.

Tolentino was three steps behind, her eyes focused on a spot further ahead but once in a while directing an intent gaze at the back of delos Santos’ head.

As the pack turned toward University of the Philippines Cebu College, Tolentino’s teammate passed around a liquid in a plastic pouch. There was a strong acidic smell. Ice candy? Ice candied Gatorade? Vinegar?

Rocket fuel.

The two runners kept the same distance until at that point shortly after they turned towards the IT Park when, with her legs about to give up, Tolentino ran with her heart.

Four hours later, with Tolentino and delos Santos long gone with their medals and other prizes, the organizers were still gathered at the finish line, waiting for the last few runners to finish.

Lawyer and broadcaster Haide Acuña was fidgeting. It turned out she was waiting for her husband, Eugene, who ran the marathon for the first time despite lacking the required mileage in training.

HE NEVER GAVE UP. Haide Acuña embraces Eugene shortly after he finished the marathon that he ran for her. The lack of training and leg cramps did not stop Eugene from finishing the race. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE. (PHOTO BY MARLEN LIMPAG)

Haide, in an eloquent post in her blog, said Eugene ran the marathon for her because he wanted to understand her.

“Because I want to understand you. I’m doing this for you,” Eugene told Haide shortly after signing up for the full marathon.

When all but a few had left the IT Park last Sunday, a poignant scene unfolded at the finish line.

Haide erupted in cheers as her husband limped his way to the finish line. She then broke into tears while tightly hugging Eugene, who embraced her while mumbling about how one shouldn’t skip training. All the while, Eugene continued to walk in place to stave off cramps.

Eugene, who ran for one runner’s heart, has a runner’s heart. He never gave up.

Kenyan Willy Tanui dominated the 42K race by finishing the race in 2 hours 30 minutes and 57 seconds. Kenyan missionary Simon Losiaboi, who is currently based in Cebu, placed second with a time of 02:30:57. Eric Panique finished as the fastest Filipino by placing third with his time of 02:32:23.

Kenyan David Kipsang was fourth with his time of 02:35:41 while Elmer Sabal placed fifth with a time of 02:37:23.

On a personal note, I finished my first 21K in 02:04:59. I aimed for a sub-2 finish but couldn’t pass up witnessing the drama in the race between Aileen Tolentino and Mary Grace delos Santos in the last few kilometers.

Here are the official race times:

The results are searchable, to get your time, go to your category and use the search bar at the lower right portion.

42K Male

Cebu City Marathon 01-10-10 Results 42k Male

42K Female

Cebu City Marathon 01-10-10 Results 42k Female

21K Male

Cebu City Marathon 21K Male result

21K Female

Cebu City Marathon 21K – female

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.