DESPITE placing second in their respective distances in the 7-Eleven Run, two of Cebu’s top long distance runners Rafael Pescos and Prince Joey Lee of Spectrum Runners Club both set milestones in their respective careers by breaking their personal records yesterday.
The two vaunted long distance runners of Spectrum Runners Club of Cebu wound up second places in their respective distances, with Pescos finishing runner up to Kenyan Joseph Mururi in the 42-kilometer men’s race and Lee settling for second in the men’s 21k behind another Kenyan in Eric Chepsiror.
Although both finished second, it was clear that the Spectrum runners were all business as the 22-year-old Pescos clocked a new personal best in the 42k with a time of two hours, 37 minutes and 39 seconds, beating his previous record of 2:38.12 that he logged in last month’s Cebu Marathon.
The 21-year-old Lee also logged a new record in the 21k, clocking 1:10.13 to eclipse the 1:11 mark he made in the Don Sergio Osmeña Run last year.
Mururi clocked 2:36.16 to win the 42k title while Azlan Pagay settled for third with a time of 2:47.15.
Chepsiror topped the 21k with a time of 1:09.41 while Bennie Murillo rounded off the top three, finishing in 1:20.16.
Pescos and Lee gained free slots to international races that will be chosen by 7-Eleven as part of their prizes in this race which is held for the first time in Cebu.
The top three winners in the 42k and 21k get these incentives.
This means Spectrum teammate Lizane Abella will also get the same incentive after topping the 42k title with a time of 3:20.06.
This is her third 42k title in a span of two months.
Marie Stephan Jayson (3:39.57) and Ivy Christine Muscosa (5:17.34) were her runners up.
The top three in the 21k were Mary Joy Tabal, Ruffa Sorongon and Aileen Tolentino, respectively.