Lee, Sorongon clinch 21k titles in 2019 National MILO Marathon

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Proving that competing in your home-court is a big advantage, Prince Joey Lee and Ruffa Sorongon clinched the titles of their respective divisions in the 21-kilometer race of the 2019 National MILO Marathon held early this morning, Sunday, September 29, 2019.   

Lee is a homegrown Cebuano while Sorongon, although a native of Koronadal City in South Cotabato, has been Cebu-based for about six years now. 

Prince Joey Lee (center), the 21k men’s champion in the 2019 National Milo Marathon staged in Cebu City on Sept. 29, 2019, is flanked to the right by second placer Ariel Saballa and left by Florendo Lapiz. |CDND Photo/ Gerard Vincent Francisco

Lee won the 21k men’s title for the first time here in Cebu but this is his second overall win, having won it in the Iloilo leg last year.

Sorongon, for her part, bagged her fourth 21k women’s title here in Cebu for a total of six. She first won it in Bohol in 2014; in 2015 and 2016 in Cebu; in 2017 in Bohol again; and twice again in Cebu, including this year.

The 22-year-old Lee is dedicating his 21-kilometer win in Cebu to God and himself.

“(To) God ug sa akong kaugalingon lang karon kay gi trainingan man ku ni maayo (To God and myself this time because I really trained hard for this),” said Lee.

Lee took off along with about 600 other runners at 4:30 a.m. at the starting line situated along Osmeña Blvd. and crossed the finish line inside the Cebu City Sports Center with a time of one hour, 11 minutes and 59 seconds (1:11:59).

“Akoa ning teritoryo so siempre proud kay taga Cebu man jud ko,” quipped the 22-year-old runner.

Lee said he was just so happy that he won in Cebu that it didn’t matter that he didn’t get his personal record (PR) of 1:09, even as he trained for three months for the Cebu race.

Lee said he was not able to improve his PR because the terrain in Cebu is more difficult than that in Iloilo.

For the rest of this year, Lee said he will focus his training for the National Finals in Tarlac City on January 19, 2020.

The National Finals is usually held in December, but this year’s edition has been scheduled for January to make way for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines will be hosting from November 30 to December 11.

This time around, Lee said he hoped he can enter the top 10.

Ruffa Sorongon (center), the women’s 21k champion in the 2019 National Milo Marathon held in Cebu City on Sept. 29, 2019, is flanked by second placer Evamie Villarin (right) and third placer Engiel Estillor (left.) |CDND Photo/Gerard Vincent Francisco

In the distaff side, the 28-year-old Sorongon clinched her sixth 21k women’s title with a time of 1:31:31.

Sorongon said she was not expecting a win since she had no proper training this week as she was still tired from last week’s  42k Run Rio, where she finished third.

Sorongon shared that in the course of the race, she had wanted to quit because aside from aching legs, she was also nursing an upset stomach.

She, however, decided to continue and maintain a slower pace.

Just like Lee, Sorongon hoped to also better her fourth place finish in the National Finals last year, wherein she clocked 3:15.

Other winners

Finishing second and third to Lee, respectively, were Ariel Saballa who had a time of 1:14:29 and Florendo Lapiz 1:14:40.

Placing second to Sorongon was Evamie Villarin, who crossed the finish line with a time of 1:32:02, and third place was salvaged by Engiel Estillor who clocked 1:41:16.

Ruling the 10k were Eric Chepsiror in the men’s and Melissa Dinneen in the women’s. Chepsiror clocked 33:38 while Dinneen had a time of 41:45.

Placing second and third, respectively, in the men’s were Gimar Magdalino (35:35) and Jemar Morales (35:53).

Settling for second in the women’s was Cherry Andrin (43:20) and rounding up the top 3 was April Joy Alampayan (43:38).

Taking the 5k boy’s title was Jhonn Marc Dizon with his time of 16:07. Placing second was Rinmarch Gonzaga who clocked 16:08 and at third place was Jessie Abelgos with 16:11.

Dizon and Abelgos are from the Sisters of Mary School Boystown and was first introduced into running by six-time MILO marathon queen Mary Joy Tabal and her long-time coach John Philip Dueñas.

The distaff side had Asia Abucay Paraase at the top with 19:59, Joan Lovilla Lim with 20:07 and multi-titled triathlete Moira Frances Erediano with 20:22.

Owning the top 3 in the 3k boys were Louis Gabriel Ariola (10:16), Gino Camille Lamoste (10:42) and Noey Andre Onge (11:29).

The 3k girls title was copped by Laurence Yvony Garcia with 11:30, Juliana Sevilla at second with 11:44 and at third was maryll Gayson with 11:50.

Sidelights

The biggest delegation honor went to Cebu Technological University (CTU) with runners-up University of the Visayas (UV) and Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U).

UV was also an automatic champion in the college division of the cheer-dance competition.

Dominating the secondary division was Gabriel Jurado Foundation School from the northern town of Catmon and placing second was UV Minglanilla Campus.

The City Central School once again took the elementary title, followed by Don Vicente Rama in second place, Mabolo Elementary School in third place and Camp Lapu-Lapu in fourth place./elb