Lee, Hallasgo crowned champions in SM2SM Run 2025
Christine Hallasgo and Prince Joey Lee. | CDN Digital photo / Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines—After two years of falling short, Cebu’s veteran long-distance runner Prince Joey Lee finally reached the pinnacle of the SM2SM Run, claiming the 21-kilometer half marathon title on Sunday, March 9.
Lee, who had settled for runner-up finishes in the past two editions, delivered a commanding performance, clocking 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 30 seconds to best 2023 champion Jayson Padayao, who finished second at 1:10:48. Florendo Lapiz rounded out the podium at 1:10:49.
The Spectrum Runners Club standout, a former Milo Marathon Cebu leg champion, had come agonizingly close to victory last year, falling short against Richard Salano. This time, Lee made sure there would be not repeat the disappointment, proving his mettle against a stacked field of 3,400 runners and finally securing the P50,000 champion’s purse.
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“Kaluoy sa Ginoo, nadaog na gyud nako. But I didn’t have a good start, luckily, nadayon gyud nako all the way sa lumba. I never thought nga mag lead ko all the way, ako lang gyud gi tangtang akong doubts,” said Lee.
(Thank God, I was able to win the race. But I didn’t have a food start, luckily I was able to go on, all the way, with the race. I never though that I will lead all the way, i just tried to do away with my doubts.)
“This is one of the major events diri sa Cebu, so I prepared very well from the past few months. Pero wala gyud ko mag expect ako makadaog ron, pero ako ra gibuhat akong best (I never expected that I will win, but I did my best) .”
The 28-year-old Lee plans to join upcoming local footraces, while a major race, the National Open, will be his main goal this year.
READ: Cherry Andrin finally wins biggest SM2SM race after 11 years
Christine Hallasgo
Meanwhile, 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) women’s marathon gold medalist Christine Hallasgo lived up to her lofty billing, dominating the women’s 21k category. She clocked 1:23:24, outpacing defending champion Artjoy Torregosa (1:25:42) and 2023 titlist Cherry Andrin (1:26:22).
However, Hallasgo later on revealed that she endured the race with a lower back injury, doubting herself to win.
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“Ang akong first time kay way back 2019 pa. Second ko ato that time unya karon wala gyud ko mag expect makadaog. Gabie pa gani, nag tambal pa ko sa akong injury sa lower back. Nagpa physical therapy pa ko gabie,” Hallasgo revealed.
(My first time to join the race was way back in 2019. I won second place that time and this time, I never expected that I will win. Last night, i was taking medication for my injury on the lower back. I had physical therapy last night.)
“Last week wala gyud ko nakadagan. Labaw na ganina kay second ra ko pag start. Ang gap siguro namo sa race kay 100 meters. Nag continue lang gyud gihapon ko. Akong mindset think positive lang gyud. Pag first 10k diha pa nako nakuha ang lead,” she added.
(Last week, I was unable to run. When the race started, I was on second place. The gap was about 100 meters. But I continued. My mindset was to always think positive. After the first 10k that was the time that I started to take the lead.)
The 32-year-old Hallasgo will compete in the Asian Marathon in China and the SEA Games in Thailand.
Other winners
In the 21k foreign category, Kenyan Eric Chepsiror (1:14:01) and Fabien Wyss of Switzerland (1:56:49) emerged victorious.
Lee’s triumph set the tone for Spectrum Runners Club, as his teammate, Mark Mahinay, ruled the 12k race with a time of 39:31. National University (NU) trackster Jessa Mae Roda topped the women’s division in 50:08.
The other winners included Asia Paraase (22:16) and Junel Gabotia (15:45) in the 8k race, while Janry Pelones (12:56) and Cathy Lingcong (16:15) ruled the 4k category.
The SM2SM Run 2025, known for its lucrative prizes and thrilling raffle giveaways, attracted a massive field of 14,612 runners, cementing its status as one of Cebu’s premier road races.
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