Long-distance specialist Richard Salano endured the hot early morning weather, while Christine Hallasgo tried to keep a steady pace under the sweltering conditions on Sunday in the 2024 ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championship at the Philsports oval in Pasig.
The 32-year-old Salano got comfortable with his lucky red rubber shoes, as he claimed his ninth title since he acquired it last November and dominated the men’s open 10,000-meter run.
Salano, whose soles got sore when he used spiked shoes and landed fifth in the 5000-meter run last Wednesday, saw improvements in his time using his lucky shoes as he finished in 31 minutes, and 26.82 seconds.
Being ahead of James Orduna of the University of the East and Hallasgo’s brother Ricky Organiza, allowed Salano to surpass his personal best time in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games and move closer to the SEA Games’ bronze-medal standard.
“Iyung pacing, kinakabahan kasi ako. Kaya nag-rubber shoes na lang. Hindi kaya ng spikes, masakit talaga,” said Salano, who shaved almost two minutes and 46 seconds off his clocking when he finished at ninth spot in the 2023 SEA Games (32:12.04).
Salano, who took the lead with a four-man group in the fifth lap, also came near the SEA Games’ bronze medal of Tan Htike Soe of Myanmar (31:25.55) in outpacing Orduna and Organiza, who settled for second and third in 31:28.21 and 31:42.21, respectively.
Hallasgo was unchallenged from start to finish as she went on to rule the women’s side of the 10,000 meter contest, reaching the final stop in 37 minutes and 5/10ths of a second.
The heat almost took its toll on the 31-year-old Hallasgo, whose clocking was above the 36:41.08 she submitted during last year’s SEA Games.
Spectrum Runner Edna Magtubo and April Joy Alampayan of Bohol were second and third in 39.46.72 and 39:46.81.
“Dinala ko talaga ‘yung pace, kasi may target ako. Kaso dahil sa init ng araw, nahirapan ako,” said Hallasgo, who is from Malaybalay, Bukidnon.
Their efforts came as a national junior record fell on the final day of the five-day meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, after the Pasig team of Kurt Titular took the silver in the men’s under-20 4×100-meter relays.
The Pasig squad of Titular, Adrian Magsino, Constantine Payang and John Dave Tumangan came in at 42.89, behind Team Sarawak, and their time eclipsed the performance of the 2002 group of Florencio Sulana, Ralph Waldy Soguilon, Vinson Alday and Melchor Ayonayon of 43.03 seconds.
Meanwhile, Mark Harry Diones was semblance of his old self in taking the men’s triple jump honors in 15.6 meters, which was 1.1 meters below the standing national record he made at 16.7 meters back in 2016.