Two Cordilleran runners topped the Sandugo Pacific Coast Ultra 100, one of the toughest 100-mile trail runs in the country, on Oct. 4 to 6 in General Nakar, Quezon.
Maria Cecilia Kiswa of Ifugao championed the women’s side while Benguet’s Jovencio Luspian placed second in the men’s category of the 160-kilometer trail run.
Kiswa led the women’s category, finishing the race in 31 hours, 57 minutes and 46 seconds and placing fifth in the overall scoreboard.
She is trailed by Charmaine Hazel Arrazola with a time of 32:46:26 and Ann Jillian Pulanco with a time of 33:28:46.
Kiswa recently ruled the 21-kilometer category of the “Last Stand of Yamashita 2019” trail run with a time of 8:02:04 to lead the female side in tracing the ancient trails of the Japanese Imperial Army in Hungduan, Ifugao.
Another trail run achievement for the Ifugao native is by topping the women’s side of the 42-kilometer Rice Terraces Marathon last June.
Meanwhile, Luspian placed second in the men’s category with a time of 26:42:18 during the third edition of the event that took elite runners through the coastal town of General Nakar.
Luspian trailed first place winner Anthony Calixterio who clocked 25:57:02 while Rignerly Dumlao placed third with a time of 30:48:50.
Luspian also took this year to complete two other 100-milers, placing in the top five of the King of the Mountain Hardcore 100 held in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya with a time of 32:54:00 and placed in Altra 100 finishing it at 44:51:00 in Batad, Ifugao early this year.
Added to that is his last year’s 100-mile ultra-finish, the Taklang Damulag 100 held in Fort Magsaysay in Paleyan City, Nueva Ecija where he championed the event with a time of 28:52:00.
This makes Luspian the only elite Filipino runner that finished all the four grueling 100-milers in the country. – Ofelia C. Empian
