INQUIRER Sports

OLONGAPO CITY?Kenyans Vincent Chepsiror and Doreen Kitaka sustained their furious pace after dusk on Saturday to rule the 2nd Smart-Subic International Marathon which ended at the Remy Field inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority here.

The 29-year-old Chepsiror and Kitaka, 26, easily topped the men?s and women?s divisions, respectively, of the 42.195-kilometer event which started in the afternoon at the Subic Clark-Tarlac Expressway in Floridablanca, Pampanga.

?Sometimes, the darkness slowed me down but overall I am happy with the course,? said Chepsiror.

Kitaka said some portions of the up-and-down course were not well-lighted but expressed delight over her second major victory in as many weeks.

?I have trouble seeing in some places,? said Kitaka, also the winner of the recent Quezon City International Marathon.

Chepsiror clocked 2 hours, 27 minutes and 54 seconds, while Kitaka, a mother of two from Nairobi, timed 3:01:12.

Both Chepsiror and Kitaka pocketed $5,000 each in the well-attended event presented by Smart and co-presented by the BCDA, SCTEX, Philippine National Police, SBMA, PAGC, Rotary International, Toby?s, Runnr, Burlington Bio-Fresh, Sports Armour and Chris Sports.

The Kenyans also dominated the 21K men?s race Sunday with Johnson Tarus and Willy Tanoi pulling off a 1-2 finish Sunday.

Tarus clocked 1:11.34, nine seconds faster than Tanoi.

In the distaff side, Maricel Naquilan frolicked in the absence of Kenyan opposition to win in 1:31:10. Luisa Raterta finished second in 1:34:52, while Liza Yambao settled for third in 1:37:10.

Running at night for the first time had Chepsiror and Kitaka finishing way below their personal bests of 2:18 and 2:45, respectively.

?I could have run faster if this was held in daylight and if there were more water stations, but I have no complaints because the people are very nice and the place is beautiful,? said Chepsiror.

Eight Kenyans made it to the men?s top 10 while Cecilla Wangui made it a 1-2 Kenya finish in the women?s race.

Aileen Tolentino of De La Salle-Dasmarinas emerged the top Filipino finisher, placing third with a time of 3:29:01.

Tolentino, who won $1,000, relegated Kenyan Sarah Maiyo to fourth. Another Filipina, Joanne Mangat, was fifth in 3:34:23.

Cross-country specialist Willy Rofich, 18, salvaged second in the men?s race in 2:28:14, good for $2,500.

Third place went to Daniel Koringo (2:29:57), followed by Alex Melly (2:30:23), Richard Mutisya (2:30:30); Hillary Kipchumba (2:31:51); Gilbert Kipkemoi (2:35:58) and Daniel Kipsang (2:37:50), all of whom are members of the powerhouse Kenyan delegation.

Two Filipinos crashed the Kenyan Top 10 party as Hernanie Sore, a criminology student from University of Baguio, finished ninth (2:40:20) and Alquin Bolivar of the Army was 10th in 2:40:42.