Joseph Arnel Emia, Rider Omega Tri Team’s promising runner, competes in the St. Ignatius Run’s 21K race./CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO
New member of Rider Omega Tri Team starts to make presence felt
Rider Omega Tri Team has a new long-distance runner and he’s starting to make waves in the local running scene.
Joseph Arnel Emia, a 29-year-old runner from Ginatilan town, southwestern Cebu, who has been with the team for just five months picked up his biggest win yet in Cebu City after ruling the 21-kilometer men’s race of the 8th Saint Ignatius Run yesterday.
Emia breasted the tape at the SM City Cebu car park in 1:17:41 to emerge as the men’s 21k champion.
Although this is his first major win in the city, Emia is not new to running and winning. He started in the sport five years ago and has joined long-distance races before, but most of the them were outside of Cebu City.
“Almost all of the long-distance races that I joined were out-of-town,” he said after his victory.
He also has won before, his most notable victory was last June when he topped the Ormoc City Marathon. He also helped Rider Omega Tri Team’s mixed relay squad top the competition in Davao’s MusaMan Triathlon in the same month. Just last July 14, Emia ruled the 25k distance of the Cebu North 50-Kilometer Ultramarathon in Bogo City.
He admitted he was tired after that race, but that didn’t stop him from competing in the footrace organized by the Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu Alumni Association (SHS-AAA) Silver Jubilarians Batch 1993.
“I was kind of exhausted from that race but I did my best to win the 21k race [using the]training program that my fellow runners taught me,” he said.
Davaoeño Agustin Ychon of the Spectrum Runners Club claimed second place with a time of 1:20.46 while Paul James Zafico rounded off the top three, clocking 1:22.58.
Emia said this race was part of his preparation for his stint in the upcoming Regent Aguila Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships. He and two other triathletes from the Rider Omega Tri Team will compete in the relay division. He will be the team’s runner.
“I’m a new member of the team and part of my preparation for Ironman 70.3 is this race but I never expected to win this race,” Emia said.
Rider Omega Tri Team Manager Tonyson Lee said he sees a lot of potential in Emia.
“We got him as a runner for our relay tri team. Then we saw potential in him,” Lee said. “In the past races, he’s been winning already. I hope he will continue to train and be one of the best runners in our country.”
Meanwhile, Sultan Kudarat’s Ruffa Sorongon ruled the 21k distaff side by crossing the finish line in 1:31.07.
Spectrum Runners Club’s Evamie Villarin settled for second place (1:34.08) while Angel Estillore landed at third (1:44.05).
Joan Alinsunod of the Spectrum Runners Club ruled the women’s 12k race while her teammate Ruel Algufera emerged as the fastest runner in the men’s side.
Winners in the 6k category were Mary Joy Loberanis (25:33) and Prince Joey Lee (19:16).
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