A group of Filipino runners, led by Arlan Arbois, Richard Salano and Christine Hallasgo scooped 20 medals, including 11 of 12 gold medals at stake in the long-distance events of the Laguna Phuket Marathon over the weekend.
Arbois, who led a bunch of 18 elite Filipino contestants under the Team 7-Eleven Philippines banner, topped the men’s 42-km run in two hours, 34 minutes and 18.25 seconds.
Florendo Lapiz, a Cebuano who won the Manila leg of the Milo Marathon, took second in 2:42.13, ahead of Japanese bet Kazuma Minamibata, who was third in 2:42.25.
Maricar Camacho ruled the women’s side in 3:13.38 of this meet, certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), to lead a 1-2-3 finish by Filipina runners.
Jennylyn Nobleza and Lizanne Abella settled for second and third in 3:32.25 and 3:35.2, respectively.
Organizers said the successful staging of the the Laguna Phuket Marathon has made it a pathway for the Boston Marathon in the future.
Salano, who recently topped the middle-distance events of the ICTSI-Philippine Athletics Championships, led the men’s 21-km run in 1:13.24, with Prince Joey Lee taking third spot in 1:16.40.
Hallasgo, a veteran of the Southeast Asian Games, reached the women’s 21-km finish line in 1:23.68 for the gold, with Nhea Anne Barcena her runner-up at 1:29.40.
It was Hallasgo’s second gold medal in the meet since her initial outing in 2019.
Over 10,000 running enthusiasts and visitors from 40 countries participated in the event, an annual running race held on Thailand’s largest island, Phuket, famous for its beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, and warm climate.
