Missos wins 15K run of accident-marred Qualfon @ 5: The Run Continues

Kenyan Abrahan Missos returned to Cebu with a bang, collecting another easy win by dominating the 15-kilometer race of Qualfon’s fifth anniversary running event dubbed “Qualfon @ 5: The Run Continues” yesterday at the Asiatown IT park.

Qualfon’s running event was marred by a minor road accident after a runner participating in the 6k category was hit by a passenger jeepney’s side mirror while traversing Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue. The organizers withheld the name of the runner and the driver who were involved in the accident.

The Sugbo Road Runners Club (SRRC), the team which handled the technical side of the event, said it was clearly the jeepney driver’s fault.

According to the group that responded to the accident area, the driver fell asleep while driving and swerved towards a bunch of runners on the opposite lane. Another runner who asked not to be named said some of the runners, among them women, managed to evade the jeepney but the victim reacted too late and got hit on his shoulder.

The organizers were quick to react and members of CITOM apprehended the driver and got his license. The runner, according to Danilo Eraño of SRRC, suffered no major injury and even managed to finishing his run.

The event aimed at producing funds for Qualfon’s social responsibility programs like its free English teachings at the Apas Elementary School.

Meanwhile, Jess Gonzaga claimed second place in the 15k run followed by Southwestern University’s (SWU) Ian Bernido.

In the 15k distaff side, Madelyn Carter extended her winning streak by outrunning second placer Merlita Arias-Dunkin and Marichu Luterte, who finished third.

On the other hand, Cebu’s running queen Mary Joy Tabal of SWU ruled a shorter distance race by topping the 6k category..

Second to Tabal was 12-year-old Lovely Fe Andrin, whose sisters Jhean and Cherry also won in first and second places, respectively, in the 6k run of the LiveRun (see separate story)also held yesterday. Rejeeli Sumaya rounded off the top three female in the 6k division.

Twinkle Ignacio won again the Best In Costume title while one-and-a-half year-old Stephen Gabriel Galera was awarded the Youngest Runner award. Rening Ylaya again brought home the Oldest Runner title while Globe Telecom brought about a hundred runners to win the biggest delegation award. The Ungo Runners Club was awarded the liveliest delegation award.