The conferment for the first time of the Sports Excellence Award from the city government of Baguio to a woman is reason enough for celebration ahead of the Women’s Month.
Bemedalled athlete Sandi Menchi Abahan stood tall among world-class athletes from Baguio when she received the prestigious award recently from city officials, who also personally congratulated her for her exemplary accomplishments in the Guinness World Record obstacle course race events from 2021 to 2022.
Among her accomplishments were becoming champion in the highest altitude fitness class in the Highest Altitude Obstacle Race in Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania on Sept. 19, 2021.
The event was held at an altitude of 5,714 meters above sea level.
She also emerged as champion from the roster of elite ultra-runners from around the world in the World Highest Marathon held also in Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,895 MASL on May 9, 2022.
Abahan, also a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in OCR, finished the highest marathon in nine hours and 50 seconds.
The city government also commended Abahan for emerging as champion in the following races: Highest Altitude Ultra Marathon, Highest Altitude Trail Marathon, Highest Altitude Skyrunning Marathon, Highest Altitude Skyrunning Race, Highest Altitude Skyrunning Ultra Marathon, and Highest Altitude Vertical Kilometer.
Abahan also won the 21-kilometer category of 1st Altitude OCR World Series Asia Championship held in Mount Pulag on March 18, 2022.
She was also the champion in the 5K sprint with a time of 32 minutes and 54 seconds in the Spartan Race in Chang Mai, Thailand on Aug. 23, 2022.
She was likewise the champion in the 10K category of the Spartan Race Super Sea Regional Series in Chang Mai on Aug. 24, 2022 while she topped the 5K category of the Borneo Trail Classic in Sarawak, Malaysia on Oct. 15, 2022.
Abahan ended 2022 with a bang when she emerged as champion in the Altitude OCR World Championships in Mount Everest with a time of 10 hours, 38 minutes, and 33 seconds on Nov. 8. – Harley F. Palangchao with reports from PIO
