Longer distances, bigger cash prizes eyed for next year’s race

Organizer Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez fires the starting gun during the 39th Halad Kang Manong Amon Run in Danao City last Sunday.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

Organizers of the Halad Kang Mano Amon Run are looking to make the 40th edition of the annual race more special next year.

The 39th edition of the footrace held in honor of Danao City’s grand old man Ramon “Mano Amon” Durano Sr. was successfully held last Sunday with 900 participants.

According to Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez Jr., the head of Danao City Sports Commission, they are planning to spice up next year’s event with bigger cash prizes and longer distances.

“We are planning to add longer distances in our 40th year like 21k or 42k and also [increase] cash prizes because this is not just another regular running event,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve been doing this for the past 39 years and we consider this event special in the city of Danao and many known runners started their careers in this running event.”

This running event is the longest-running footrace in Cebu and the second longest in the country behind only the Milo Marathon. Ever since, the longest distance offered in the race was 12 kilometers. The other distances were 6k and 3k.

Among the noted runners who started their careers in this race is Danao native John Philip Dueñas, now the trainer of Olympian and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Mary Joy Tabal.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, said last Sunday’s race went smoothly save for some minor glitches with the results in the 3k race.

“There were protests in the 3k but it was resolved right away,” said Rodriguez.

This year’s winners in the 12k distance were Kenyan Eric Chepsiror (32:57) and Jelma Monsanto (42:08)..

The 6k Danao residents winners runners were Jeboy Magbologtong (25:18) and Rhena Rose Corazon (32:09) while the 3k Danao residents champions were Regie Magbologtong (15:38) and Lehlet Arendain (26:13).

Other winners were Alfredo Tabago (3k college men’s), Frailyn Monte (3k college women’s), Niño Jay Genzon (3k high school), Honeylou Legazpi (3k high school girls), Kirk Kanz Allison (3k elementary boys), and Annabella Prieto (3k elementary girls).