Tabal leans on help of Dueñas to bag women’s 15k title over Delos Santos

Mary Joy Tabal banked on the optimism of her pacer and trainer John Philip Dueñas to log a close victory over rival Mary Grace delos Santos in the 15-kilometer race of the 16th Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Run, which ended at the Cebu City Sports Center yesterday.

Zamboanga’s Delos Santos looked headed for the victory until the latter stages of the race when Tabal got the needed moral support from Dueñas, who sacrificed his bid in the men’s 15k race just to support his ward.

“I already gave up because she (Delos Santos) was too far, almost 200 to 300 meters ahead of me,” said Tabal, who clocked 58 minutes and 17.83 seconds to bag the crown.

“But I am very thankful to John (Dueñas) because he sacrificed his race in the men’s 15k just to pace me until the finish line. That was really a close win for me.” The win gave Tabal the top purse of P15,000.

Delos Santos, who was leading all the way only to be beaten in the last phase of the race, claimed second spot with a time of 59 minutes and 48. 40 seconds. Jhanine Mansueto rounded off the top three female runners with a time of one hour, five minutes and 17 seconds.

In the men’s side, Kenyan elite runner Stanley Ting emerged supreme by clocking 50 minutes.

Triathlete and ultramarathoner Mendel Lopez finished second, clocking 50 minutes and 13 seconds while another Kenyan, Abraham Missous, crossed the finish line in 50 minutes and 16 seconds to wind up third place.

Jordan Bacong, on the other hand, ruled the 7k category with a time of 23 minutes and 18 seconds followed by Joel Delposo (23:21) and Jess Gonzaga (23:22).

Cristy Tutor topped the distaff side with a time of 28:18 followed by Lovely Fe Andrin (28:30) and Jolie Rose Maxilom (29:09).

In the 15k masters division for senior citizen runners, Abellana National School’s (ANS) athletic coach Elbert Banzon bagged the title with a time of 1:01:04 in the masters A category. Alex Loloy topped the masters B division with a the time of 1:03:58. Paulino Obra won the masters C division with a time of 1:16:07 while Anciano Abella won the Masters D title.