Mary Joy Tabal proved she is among the new batch of elite runners in Cebu as she outran former running queen Christy Sevellino-Tutor in the 10-kilometer category of the Saint Ignatius Day Run yesterday at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu main campus in barangay Canduman, Mandaue City.
Tutor is actually in a middle of a winning spree in her return to Cebu’s running scene, capped off by a victory in the 42k run of the ThreeSixty Pharmacy Kawasan Falls Marathon last weekend.
But yesterday was Tabal’s day, as the current running queen of Cebu from Southwestern University clocked 39 minutes and 20 seconds to rule the women’s race.
Tutor managed second place with a time of 40:27 while Madelyn Carter settled for third, clocking 40:43.
Tabal opted not to join the Kawasan Run as she competed in the Y101 Armscor Run last weekend, where she won the 10.1k category.
Meanwhile, Ian Bernido, Tabal’s teammate in the SWU athletics squad, edged Adonis Singson for the men’s 10k crown.
Bernido clocked 34:47 while Singson, winner of the Kawasan Run 21k men’s crown, arrived a second after for second place. Elmer Bartolo was also close at third with a time of 34:49.
In the 5k race, Tabal’s trainer John Philip Duenas topped the men’s division while Jhean Andrin claimed the first place in the distaff side.
The 13-year-old Andrin logged a time of 19:26 while Duenas finished in 16:01.
Joel Delposo finished in second with a time of 16:04 followed by Miljun Luterte (16:56.)
Jhean’s 12-year-old sister Lovely Fe placed second with a time of 19:27 while Joeyry Lee, the winner of the Kawasan Run’s 21k women’s crown, settled for third, clocking 20:12.
Jorry Ycong and Cherry Andrin topped the 3k run. Ycong clocked 10:19 while Cherry, the younger sister of Jhean and Lovely Fe, finished in 13:18.
Around a thousand joined the running event held in honor of Saint Ignatius, the patron saint of SHS-AdC.