Mary Joy Tabal (middle) at the top of the podium after winning her fifth straight 21k title in the SM2SM Run. She is joined by (from left) SM Prime Holdings Inc. vice president Marissa Fernan, third placer Cristabel Martes, second place Ruffa Sorongon and CENEWOF chairman Dr.Pureza Onate.
Christian Maningo
After winning in SM2SM Run, Tabal to start rigid training
Following an impressive showing in the SM2SM Run 7, Mary Joy Tabal will now start focusing on her training for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games (SEAG).
The 27-year-old, multi-titled Cebuana runner bagged her fifth straight 21-kilometer title in the annual footrace yesterday, crossing the finish line at the SM City Cebu north open parking lot in one hour, 25 minutes and five seconds.
Prior to the race, Tabal, a native of Barangay Guba, Cebu City, said this will be her last race before she starts training for the biennial meet to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this August.
“Just like what I said before, the SM2SM Run will serve as an assessment of my recovery after the Milo Marathon last December,” Tabal, who pocketed P70,000 for winning the race, said. “So far, I think I can say that I have recovered well and am ready to undergo rigid training again.”
Aside from being the first Filipina Olympic marathoner, Tabal made history before the end of 2016 when she became a four-peat champion in the National Milo Marathon Finals’ 42k race. She is so far the only runner to complete such feat.
Next stop for Tabal and her trainer John Philip Dueñas is Tuscany, Italy, where she will train for the SEAG. Tabal is trying to improve her silver medal finish in the 2015 edition of the meet.
“We are still compiling all of the needed documents for our Italian visas. I think we will fly there on April. We will train there for a month along with other Olympians and international long distance runners,” Tabal said.
Ruffa Sorongon finished second in the women’s race after clocking 1:27.47 while Cristabel Martes completed the top three runners, clocking 1:29.35.
In the men’s race, Bulacan’s notable long-distance runner Richard Salaño emerged victorious after breasting the finish line in 1:13.18. Rafael Poliquit settled for second with a time of 1:13.19 while Cadiz City, Negros Occidental’s Mclin Sadia placed third, clocking 1:13.20.
Winners in the 21k foreign category were Kenyans Lel Kipchirchir (1:05.59) and Susuan Chepkwony (1:38.25).
Prince Joey Lee (40:34) and Cindy Lorenzo (48:36) topped the 12k race while Joseph Mururi (39:11) and Kate Kim (1:06.31) topped the 12k foreign category.
Cherry Andrin (29:20) and Noel Tillor (24:02) were the fastest runners in the 7k race while Mary Joy Loberanes (11:37) and Ariel Saballa (09:34) ruled the 3k category.
Around 7,000 runners joined the annual footrace organized by the SM Prime Holdings Inc. for the benefit of the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children and the Cebu News Workers Foundation (CENEWOF).
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