Fifty Mapawa: local runners again top the sheets!

Jonathan Pido has won the inaugural 50 miles of the Fifty Mapawa event in Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines, two years after taking the 50k crown of the same event. Pido had to dig deep, however, as his compatriot Carlo Chiong was less than a minute behind in second place. Both of them were a class apart on the major rollercoaster that is Fifty Mapawa. Established names Kyle Antolin and, especially, Tomohiro Mizukoshi, had to settle for third and fourth place respectively more than one hour behind. Mizukoshi therefore improves his total points tally for the Asia Trail Master Championship, but it isn’t enough to leap ahead of points leader Alessandro Sherpa.

It is not the first time that local runners top the results sheet here in Mapawa. Runners from the south of the Philippines are rapidly making a name for themselves in the Asia Trail Master circuit and beyond.

The 50k race illustrated that fact even more when Arnie Macaneras broke the course record set last year by John Ray Onifa by 3 minutes to win in 6:59:48. Macaneras is from Davao and known as a road runner. Clearly his trail skills are not bad neither as Fifty Mapawa is a technical trail course. Macaneras was unchallenged, yet Spain’s Ander Iza Rekakoetxea and Germany’s Franz Bellot were not slow either. The women’s 50k race was won by Jennifer Quia, who beat Gennifer Bonita and Aggy Sabanal. The latter makes a good move in the ATM Championship, but it will become tough to end the year on the championship podium. Still, Sabanal is just early twenties and certainly one of the discoveries of the season. Majo Liao in the end did not take part in the Mapawa race.

We are looking forward to seeing all those new names back on the ATM tour soon!