THE dynamic duo of veteran adventure racer Dexter Nonato and triathlete Juanito Mahinay of Team Tri-Buddies Tagum clocked 12 hours, 56 minutes and 48 seconds to rule this year’s Mt. Apo Boulder Challenge held in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
Nonato, who only placed third last year, started slow before finally taking control of the race at the peak of Mt. Apo with his new partner to erase the time of previous champion The Boatman.
Team Wals composed of bikers Jayrald Daraydo and Ireezbone Barrientos, who took the early lead in the mountain biking event settled for second place at 13:36:34. At far third was the tandem of Romeo Mascardo Jr. and Dioscoro Genunsalao Jr. at 14:03:20.
Former champion Jonathan Pido and Rodel Bustamante of Panabo Runners Club/PNP finished fourth at 14:28:30 followed by Tribu-Headware’s Mark Anthony Rance and ex-champion April John Maniyog (14:33:44).
The 6th to 11th placers are Tagum Runners-Bernadette’ s Renie Reliquite Sr. and Luigi Labega (15:45:33), Team CATBA (15:55:48), Trivengers’ Eleazar Gumela and Nathaniel Carisma (16:40:41), PNP 1’s Rodien Hormigas and John Lowel Monares (18:00:25), Adrenalin Multisports’ Marcial Catangui and Rodel Villaver (21:16:15) and BCMBA’s Gabriel Amigo III and Jystie Saragosa (24:45:03).
The 24-hour extreme race started with two disciplines – mountain biking and trail running. The accumulated time in the first two disciplines were added to the time consumed in the last two challenges – water tubing and road running.
Tri-Buddies Tagum kept its lead in the water tubing competition at the Sibulan River towards the final event towards the finish line of the Open Elite category.
In the All-Male relay, the Edge’s Barry Allen Rodriguez and Danny Tapao (11:50:48) finished first followed by Rip Wave’s Joseph Quimada and George Andrade (12:25:49) and Tri-Buddies Tagum’s Edcil Brananola and Jose Eusebio Sevilla (13:22:07) as second and third, respectively.
The 4th to 7th placers – Lozada Resort’s King Robe and Michael Barrosa (13:48:35), St. Joseph Runners’ James Lescano and Jermel Zamora (14:11:20), PNP’s Juny Rex Carreon and Dandelon Bumahit (15:13:01) and Team Jay Ang’s Jeffrey Mil and Romeo Brace Jr. (17:40:14).
PNP-URCD’s Gigi Gore and Salome Zamora clocked 23:05:44 to rule the all-female relay.
The Mount Apo Boulder Challenge is considered as the longest race in the country in terms of distance, covering a total of 120 km dissected in 47.8-km biking, 53.5-km trekking, 5-km water tubing and 13.7-km road running.
Now on its 8th year, the Mount Apo Boulder Challenge served as the highlight of the Pista sa Kinaiyahan (Feast of Nature), an event anchored on the advocacy “Protect and save Mount Apo.” With news from LITO DELOS REYES