Ruffa Sarongon approaches the finish line of A-Plus All Weather Paint Run yesterday at the Ayala Center Cebu’s The Terraces.(CDN/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
Ruffa Sorongon clinched her ninth win this year, topping the A-Plus All Weather Paint Fun Run 2 yesterday at the Ayala Center Cebu’s The Terraces.
The 23-year-old Sorongon of Sultan Kuradat completed the 21-kilometer race in one hour, 34 minutes and 46 seconds en route to securing the women’s half-marathon title.
Her closest pursuer was Irish Bekleza, who crossed the finish line in 1:43:43 for second place. Long-distance runner Sandra Sollano rounded up the top three with a time of 1:46:10.
Sorongon, who holds a personal best of an hour and 30 minutes in half marathon, told reporters after the race that it was her ninth title for the year.
In all the races she joined this year, she only lost twice: in the 2015 Cebu City Marathon and Philhealth Run, wherein she placed second.
She said her biggest win for this year was the 12K women’s division of the SM2SM Run last February.
Kenyan Isaac Simat topped the men’s race with a time of 1:14:51. Davao’s veteran runner Elmer Bartolo prevented an all-Kenyan sweep by outrunning Simat’s compatriot Eliud Lelei by 17 seconds to bag second place.
Local runners stole the limelight from the Kenyans in the 10k race.
In the men’s division, University of Cebu stalwart and weekend warrior Prince Joy Lee crossed the finish line in 34:34 to take the title, Robert Daang came in at 35:01 to win second place while Kenyan Douglas Mwiti had a time of 35:43 for third.
In the distaff side, Lovely Andrin clocked 45:37 to win over Michelle Beboso and Sarah Lee Cuizon. Beboso clocked 47:48 for second place while Cuizon finished the race in 51:36 for third place.
John Cliff Debulosan (15:18) topped the men’s 5k race while Cherry Andrin (21:12) ruled the distaff side.
Pepito Lim, the A-Plus All Weather Paint Visayas and Mindanao operations head, told reporters that proceeds of the race will go to the Asilo De La Milagrosa orphanage.
After the run, a medical mission was held at the Pag-IBIG tower car park.
Both the run and the medical mission were graced by celebrity Heart Evangelista-Escudero and her husband, Senator Chiz Escudero.