Sanchez, Tillor top Be Resorts Ultramarathon

UNHERALDED Preciosa Sanchez and multi-titled Noel Tillor bagged the top honors in yesterday’s Be Resorts 50-kilometer Ultramarathon race in Mactan.

Sanchez finished the grueling 50k run which traversed the northern side of Cebu and parts of Mactan Island in five hours, five minutes and 35 seconds to win the women’s crown while Tillor bagged the men’s title in three hours, 48 minutes and 26 seconds in his second foray in the 50k distance.

Tillor also topped last May’s Coast to Coast Ultra Marathon which is a 65k race from Cebu to Toledo City via the Transcentral Highway and finished third in the Cebu 100k run last November.

Sanchez benefited from the absence of the top names in the women’s division to win her first ultra title.

“The top contenders were not able to join like Virginia Parajenog and some of the best women ultra runners from Manila that’s why she was able to top the race. But for a beginner in ultra marathons, she pulled off an impressive performance,” said race director Raffy Uytiepo.

Two runners were not able to finish the race while three did not show up. The rest were able to beat the nine-hour cut off time, revealed Uytiepo who teamed up with Front Runner Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jonel Mendoza and Be Resorts Mactan in staging the event.

Cebuano Paul James Zafico finished second to Tillor in 3:51:46 seconds while 100k Cebu Ultra Runners Club (CUC) ultramarathon champion Jieter Bada came in third in 4:25:50.

Sandra Soliano trailed Sanchez in second spot (5:20:31) while Pat Toremoro came in third (5:31:50).

The top three men and women finishers received medals, finishers shirts and caps plus extra bragging rights.

Meanwhile, Tillor and 100k Bogo to Cebu champion Bayani Alvarez already signed up for the Nov. 17 100K race in Bogo City which has a cut-off time of 30 hours.

Uytiepo said 15 ultra runners have already enlisted to join the race which also has an 80k distance.  /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL