Source: Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS): RESULTS

26 FEBRUARY 2006: PHILIPPINE MARATHON FOR THE PASIG RIVER

Gripping drama characterized this second marathon edition in Metro Manila. In the midst of the country’s political turmoil, the marathon nevertheless started and ended without a hitch.

The top two men are in-house athletes of the Philippine Army, who, at that time, were under red alert following a Presidential Proclamation placing the entire country under a “State of National Emergency.”

On the women’s side, youth triumphed over experience when Jhoan Banayag, of the University of the East Athletics Team, won over a veteran field which included last year’s winner Maria Estela Mamac-Diaz.

This was the first time, including the first four years when the road race was known as the Pasig River Heritage Marathon, that an international-calibre runner was among the 903 starters. Robert Njoroge Wambugu flew in barely four hours before the gun with little more than a pair of training shoes. Fellow competitor Cesar Bollecer of Direct Link Running Club, showing the visitor the unique Filipino brand of hospitality, exchanged running shoes with him on the start line, but the drama did not end there.

Njoroge, benefitting from his extensive international exposure, immediately took the lead. But after two of the course’s nine bridges, jet lag, lack of sleep and the warm weather began to tell on his legs, allowing the locals to catch up and pull away. Dropping to a 10th-place finish, Wambugu vowed to be back to redeem himself in next year’s edition.

The marathon is an advocacy project of the Clean & Green Foundation Incorporated on behalf of the Philippine Government’s Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. It seeks to harness the people’s participation in the long-running Pasig River rehabilitation program.

The Pasig River is the Philippines’ most historical and important inland waterway, which runs from east to west dividing Metropolitical Manila into north and south areas. The country’s history in the last 400 years is closely intertwined with the river, spanning Spanish, British, American and Japanese colonial occupations, revolutions, world wars, and local uprisings. Located along its banks are the Filipino’s most historical districts, buildings and sites.

MEN:

1  Cresciano SABAL             PHI  2:26:13

2  Bernardo DESAMITO           PHI  2:30:29

3  Memerto CORPUZ              PHI  2:32:24

4  Regelio de Leon SARMIENTO   PHI  2:35:28

5  Rodolfo TACADINO            PHI  2:36:02

6  Allan BALLESTER             PHI  2:37:00

7  Jujet DE ASIS               PHI  2:37:24

8  Michael CANILLO             PHI  2:38:11

9  Wilson MANINGKIL            PHI  2:39:26

10 Robert WAMBUGU              KEN  2:40:00

WOMEN:

1  Jhoan BANAYANG              PHI  3:02:37

2  Flordeliza CARREON-CACHERO  PHI  3:09:13

3  Ailene TOLENTINO            PHI  3:09:28

4  Ma. Estela MAMAC DIAZ       PHI  3:09:42

5  Liza DELFIN                 PHI  3:24:22

6  Merlita ARIAS               PHI  3:34:17

7  Mila PAJE                   PHI  3:37:04

8  Marychiel MINAS             PHI  3:41:18

9  Joanne MANANGAT             PHI  3:43:58

10 Genevieve DELA PENA         PHI  3:44:39