LAOAG. – Proving her win last year as no fluke, former Southeast Asian Games marathon queen Christine Hallasgo handily ruled the women’s 10-kilometer run of the challenging 2nd Laoag City Sand Dunes Challenge here in Barangay Lapaz over the weekend.
The petite Hallasgo, who bagged the women’s marathon gold medal in the 30th Philippine SEA Games, negotiated the daunting up-and-down course that started at dawn in one hour, four minutes and .09.38 seconds.
Veronica Shane Julian finished a far second in the event highlighting Laoag’s annual Pamulinawen Festival, clocking 1:11.47.15, while former long-distance runner and Milo Marathon fixture Lany Cardona-Adaoag of Pangasinan (1:15.44.83) was third in the competition organized by Laoag City Mayor and former Project Gintong Alay project director Michael Keon.
Mapua athletic varsity standout Richie Estampador topped the men’s 10-kilometer race in 46.16.76, with Ricky Oganiza second (46.44.42) and Ricky Gagarin third (48.13.79).
Relegated to fourth place was national athlete and 5,000-meter runner Sonny Wagdos (50:01.19).
“Mahirap ang course na to, lalo na ‘yung last two kilometers na may pababa, pataas at pababa. Kailangan madiskarte kundi lulubog talaga ang paa mo,” noted Hallasgo of the slightly revised course just few kilometers away from the West Philippine Sea.
“Talagang mahirap po at hindi basta-basta ang pagtakbo rito. Kakaiba ito sa mga takbo na na naranasan ko,” said Wagdos, a silver medalist in the 5,000-meter run of the Cambodia SEA Games last year.
