I just want to comment on this topic. The 2nd Cebu City Marathon is now history but then this subject had surfaced in some coffee shop discussions lately.
I’d like to start and say that I discovered this major, major time miscue on the notebook of a reporter when I was looking at the results of the Cebu City Marathon.
I just got back from my post at the City Hall and decided to proceed to the start/finish line, as I know there were will be runners trying to finish the race. As one of those who finished last in the inaugural marathon in 2009, I sure know how it feels.
Back to the notebook.
When I saw the time of 1:11.20 for Mary Grace Delos Santos, I immediately called the attention of the reporter. I told her that there must be something wrong with her notes because I just spoke to Mary Grace and she told me her injury slowed her down but was good enough to win the half marathon. Then I asked about her time and she said 1:31. (her official time is 1:31.07 for the half-marathon in the 2nd Cebu City Marathon).
The reporter reasoned out that it was the time given by the officials of the race. It was then that Raffy Uytiepo, who was with me, joined the conversation and commented that the time of 1:11 was just too fast!
As it turned out, only this reporter’s paper published the correct time the next day as she sorted, with timing group, the correct time. The other two papers published 1:11.20 as the time of Mary Grace in the half-marathon.
I have nothing against Mary Grace but if it was true that she ran the half-marathon this fast then she just established a Philippine record in that distance! Furthermore, she was just a minute away from matching Elmer Bartolo’s record of 1:10.20 established in 2008 during the 1st Sinulog Half Marathon organized by the Cebu Executive Runners’ Club. (This race was the only PATAFA sanctioned 21k race and this record stands until it is broken in a PATAFA sanctioned race. Liezl Geteruelas won the women’s side of that race in 1:28.)
Editors of the two papers (that published the super time of 1:11.20) or I would suppose even the editor of the paper that published the correct time were unaware of the record times in both the half-marathon and full marathons in both the men’s and women’s categories in local, national and international races.
I think they just overlooked that fact that the “injured” Delos Santos ran faster Ian Bernido, the men’s champion, whose time was 1:13.57 and four other runners (Willy Rotich 1:14.11, Adonis Singson 1:14.17, Mendel Lopez 1:14.33, and Joebert Carolino 1:15.20).
As reference, and for the record, the following are records or fastest times in the 5k, 10k, 21k and 42k.
RP MEN
5k – Eduardo Buenavista, 13:58.43.
10k – Eduardo Buenavista, 29:02.3.
21k – Eduardo Buenavista, 1:02.58.
42k – Eduardo Buenavista, 2:18.44.
RP WOMEN
5k – Not available at this time, will publish later.
10k – Not available, will publish later.
21k – Leizl Geteruelas, 1:28.00.
Fastest times last year but unofficial
21k – JoAnn Banaag, 1:20.57.
Mary Grace Delos Santos, 1:21.15.
42k – Not available, will publish later.
ASIA MEN
5k – Saif Saeed Shaheen (QAT), 12:51.98.
10k – Ahmad Hassan Abdullah (QAT), 26:38.76.
21k – Atsushi Sato (JAP), 1:00:25.
42k – Toshimori Takaoke (JAP), 2:06:16.
ASIA WOMEN
5k – Bo Jiang (CHI), 14:28.09.
10k – Junxia Wang (CHI), 29:31.78.
21k – Kayoko Fukushi (JAP), 1:07:26.
42k – Mizaki Noguchi (JAP), 2:19:12.
WORLD MEN
5k – Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 12:37.35.
10k – Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 26:17.53.
21k – Zersenay Tadese (ERI), 58:23.
42k – Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 2:03;59.
WORLD WOMEN
5k – Tirunseh Dibaba (ETH), 14:11.15.
10k – Junxia Wang (CHI), 29:31.78.
21k – Lornah Kiplagat (NED), 1:06:25.
42k – Paula Radcliffe (UK), 2:15:25.
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