STA CRUZ, Laguna , Philippines – Antipolo pounced on a tactical blunder by fancied Airforce-Brooks and an accident to its ace runner Eduardo Buenavista to grab the halfway lead in the Laguna Lake Challenge that ended here on Saturday.
Given a huge cushion by female teammate Miscelle Gilbuena, who topped the fourth and penultimate 20.33-km leg from the Doña Jovita Garden Resort in Calamba to Calauan, Laguna, Antipolo’s Eric Panique padded that by going all out for a solo finish in front of the Laguna provincial capitol building.
The 26-year-old 2009 Milo marathon runner-up ruled the 18.86.-km. fifth stage more than 13 minutes ahead of Airforce-Brooks’ Ryan Mendoza in the 207-km. ultra marathon organized by the Laguna Lake Conservation Society and the Laguna Lake Development Authority.
After Day 1, the Antipolo runners, coached by veteran marathoner and former national athlete Roy Vence, logged a front-running time of five hours, 33 minutes and 43 seconds, the Airmen were second (5:47.01.93) and Army Team C third (5:58.09).
The Airmen, who led after the 17.94-km. opening leg from Tiendesitas in Pasig City to Sucat, Muntinlupa through the efforts of Julius Sermona, encountered double trouble that relegated them to second place in the event sponsored by the Laguna and Rizal provincial governments, Maynilad, PCSO and Pagcor.
Their woes started early when Buenavista, who was set to start the second leg, was accidentally bumped by a motorcycle driver while warming up in front of the transition point at the Sucat Health Center.
“Buti na lang sumunod ako sa momentum ng motorsiklo,” said the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games men’s marathon king, whose right wrist was grazed as he tried to maintain his balance and felt pain on his left thigh where he was hit.
But like a true road warrior, the 31-year-old sergeant bravely soldiered on, changing places with Rafael Poliquit, who took his place in the second leg, and returned to run the third and the day’s longest leg, a 20.33-km. grind from SM Sta. Rosa to Calamba.
Checking out fifth from the pit stop, the diminutive dynamo slowly gained ground of those ahead of him, forcing Army’s Darwin Lim, who was then running first, out of the race with four kilometers to go in the stage as he collapsed from exhaustion in trying to keep pace with Buenavista.
Lim was later taken to a nearby hospital and declared out of danger.
But Buenavista’s valiant effort to wrest the lead back for Airforce-Brooks went for naught when his support vehicle carrying the next runner, Mirasol Abad, got snarled in traffic at the SLEX exit in Sta. Rosa, arriving two minutes later when Gilbuena had already left.
“Na-traffic kami sa SLEX, kung di dahil duon baka lamang pa kami,” coach TSgt, Bernard Ebuen, a former national standout, said.
“Next time i-deploy na namin ang mga runners in advance sa mga stages to avoid this same mistake,” rued Ebuen after the huge error that cost them the lead in the contest likewise supported by Rotary Club Makati Central, Unilever, Sogo Hotels, Petron, NCA, and CBK Power Company Ltd.
“Hopefully, makabawi kami bukas, lalo na sa seventh stage from Mabitac to Jala-Jala, Rizal, kung saan si Vertek (Buenavista’s nickname) tatakbo,” said Ebuen, referring to the 29.9-km. rolling route that could decide the contest’s outcome where the champion teams cops the grand prize of P350,000.
On the other hand, Antipolo coach and veteran marathoner Vence was delighted by his charges’ showing and vowed that they would be determined to cling to the lead.
“Crucial ang naging takbo ni Gilbuena,” Vence, who won the men’s marathon gold in the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games, said.
“Tatapatan na lang namin si Buenavista kay Erenio Raquen sa seventh stage para di makalayo,” he added.