INQUIRER Sports

NO RECORDS WERE BROKEN BUT the expected Kenyan juggernaut rolled mightily Sunday at the inaugural staging of the Quezon City International Marathon where the visitors dominated both the main 41.195-kilometer event and the 21K run that started and ended at the QC Memorial Circle.

Hillary Kimutai Kipchumba overtook pre-race favorite Daniel Koringo in the final 3 km to win his first full marathon in two hours, 30 minutes and eight seconds. He pocketed P300,000.

Two days before the race, Koringo said he would try to break the fastest record on Philippine soil of 2:14:27, set by East German Waldemar Cierpinski during the 1982 Manila International Marathon.

Koringo led the field until the 39 km mark when he pulled a right hamstring. He eventually wound up fourth in 2:31.05.

Doreen Kitaka also bagged the winner’s purse of P300,000 for topping the distaff side in 2:58.55.

Placing second and third in the men’s division were Samuel Tarus Too (2:30.36) and Daniel Chirchir (2:30.49). They took home P200,000 and P100,000, respectively.

The women’s division runners-up were Kenyans Lydia Jeratich Rutto (3:09.309) and Sarah Maito (3:12.48), who is coming off a second-place finish in the Borneo Marathon last Oct. 11.

Kenyans, the world’s fiercest long-distance runners, often credit their high-altitude training for their remarkable talent.

Both winners pointed to the uphill course of the La Mesa Ecopark in Fairview as the killer feature of the race which drew about 6,000 runners.

“The forest was a nice place but very difficult,” said 26-year-old Kitaka, a Nairobi native. “But once I reached the downhill part, I became more comfortable. No more competition.”

“Hilly, very difficult,” said the 22-year-old Kipchumba, the reigning Borneo 21K champion who added that he didn’t expect to beat Koringo. “But the weather was nice, not so hot.”

Charles Maina topped the men’s 21K race in 1:19:06 with compatriot Alex Meli finishing 10 seconds later. The women’s side was ruled by another Kenyan, Willy Tanui, who timed 1:25:56 in beating local bets Marecil Maquilan (1:28:00) and triathlete Monica Torres (1:31:00).

One week after winning the Milo Marathon national finals for the third time, Cresenciano Sabal submitted 2:37:58 to become the best local male finisher in fifth place overall. He bagged P150,000.

Ailene Tolentino likewise received P150,000 for posting the fastest local female time of 3:23:57, good for fourth place behind the three Kenyans.

Sabal wanted at least a third-place finish but fatigue caught up with him in the last four kilometers. He has decided to skip the Subic International Marathon on Sunday but will be back for the Philippine International Marathon-Run for Pasig River on Nov. 8.

Sabal’s younger brother Elmer (2:39:00) and Bernardo Desamito Jr. (2:39:27) bagged P100,000 and P75,000, respectively for their runner-up feats in the 42K local male category.