Boholanos reign in the 

Alicia Trail Run Series 

ALICIA, Bohol, July 21 (PIA)—Hospitable as locals can be, three Boholanos were not as willing to give the top spots for the visitors in the recently completed Alicia Trail Run Series. 

Proving superiority in the trails over all other competing runners from the region including international trail masters, Boholanos did not shy from the challenge and broke the tapes in their categories despite real challenge posed by big names in regional marathons. 

Philippine Team member and Boholano triathlete Emmanuel Comendador(who also claims to be from San Miguel) wearing blue Philippine Navy colors with racing bib 2135 broke the tape at the finish line after 2 hours, 2 minutes and 55 seconds topping the 21 kilometer male category. 

Meanwhile, Paseo de Loon jersey-wearing and Maribojoc athlete Jonathan Pagaura (1046), kept his pace through the highway, barangay roads and flew over the notorious Binabaje trails to emerge out of the 3 kilometer sprint back to the finish, in 59 minutes and 13 seconds to be hailed king of the 10 kilometer trails. 

Teacher and local trail runner of La Hacienda National High School, Enrique Cagulang Jr., completed the 5 kilometer course in 55 minutes and 30 seconds after the gunstart, leaving the two podium posts for the other contenders. 

In the women’s category, it was a different story. 

Cebuano Jelma Monsanto (race number 2115) completed the beautifulyl brutal 21 kilometer course running from the start to the highway and into barangay roads racing to the trails that saunter over 400 meters in height in a dizzying wave upon wave of assault to the hills and the tricky downhills in 3 hours, 3 minutes and 42 seconds. 

In the 10 kilometer run, Linajane Aluba (1027) finished the mixed highway, barangay dirt roads and seemingly insurmountable trails leading to the hills one after another, in an hour, 46 minutes and 44 seconds to claim the top spot. 

In the 5 kilometer category, Spanish runner Jana Albinez complete the seemingly easy route but her time of an hour 46 minutes and 44 seconds tells us exactly how hard that trail is. 

The race, upon which runners from as far as Cebu, Leyte and Negros got in, coursed through Alicia’s highways, barangay roads and mostly through the scenic trails of the Alicia Panoramic Park (TAPP), Bohol’s newest extreme adventure park before taking the notoriously technical down hills of Cambaol and Cabatang. 

The five kilometer race offered about 2 kilometers of highway and another over 2 kilometers of trails in the hills of Barangay Progreso,” organizer and Alicia’s Tourism Officer Godelia Lumogdang said. 

The 10 kilometer race had about 5 kilometers of dirt barangay roads and another 5 kilometers of single trails winding up and down the Binabaje Hills, and back to the starting line at the Poblacion. 

For the 21 kilometers race, she said there is an easy 1.5 kilometers of highway, about 2 kilometers of dirt barangay roads and the rest…., she trailed off, a hint of smile in her voice. 

After Comendador as the new sensation was a runner who made it to the top 3 in the Alicia’s TAPP Trail Run 2018 February 10 2018. 

Then 3rd placer Andy Roadboy Toniacao who completed the trail 2 hours 13 minutes and 49 seconds, an improvement in his time established in the TAPP race early this year. 

Coming in next is Spanish runner Joaquin Escanellas Lopez, who could not contain his excitement seeing the view from the TAPP and the challenge of the trails, finished the 21 kilometer route in 2 hours, 32 minutes and 49 seconds. 

In the 10 kilometer, after Pagaura is 1014 Ithiel Tiongson who crossed the finish line with 1018 John Rex Mendez. 

Both are police officers who showed the classic marines motto, “no man left behind”. 

For the 5 kilometer run, after Cagulang is Lemuel Pilongo (5020) who finished after 56 minutes and 31 seconds and Ronel Robles (5021) who crossed the line at 57 and 4 seconds, 

In the 21 kilometers women’s division, after Monsanto, was TAPP Trail Rune in February gold medallist Noriebelle Guinto who wore kit 2123, finishing after 3 hours, 27 minutes and 9 seconds. Guinto improved her 3 hours 32 minutes record in February. 

Placing third is race runner number 2122 Michelle Beck who came in 7 minutes after Guinto, establishing the time of 3 hours and 34 minutes. 

In the 10 kilometers women, coming in after Aluba was runner 1002 April Rose Cabajar who completed the tricky course in 1 hour, 56 minutes and 54 seconds. After was Floribel Canada in third at 1:58:58 seconds. 

In the 5 kilometer women: coming in after Albinez was a young runner from Pilar Bohol. 

Jay-Ann Banglos (5019) finished second with 1:1:27 seconds while after her was Maria Media Libaton (5012) who completed the course in 1:1:54. 

Posed as Alicia’s newest tourism product that has caught international attention, the Trail Run has also helped locals earn for the duration of the races. 

Alicia used home stay programs to accommodate the athletes and their support teams while the organizers tap local suppliers for food and race collaterals, including the services of the local trail heroes: Bohol East Trail Riders as their race emergency evacuation team. 

Mayor Marnilou has started the looking at the TAPP as a perfect venue for extreme sports tourism, and has since been supportive of the tourism initiatives in the park. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Podium winners of the 21 kilometer run include Emmanuel Comendador (middle represented here by team mate Jonathan Pagaura) Andy Tuñacao and Spanish Juaquin Escanillas Lopez. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)