ALICIA, Bohol, April 16 (PIA) -- Running with a recently healed stretched tendon, the hailed queen of The Alicia Panoramic Park (TAPP) trails got dethroned in the women’s category but still settled for second in the grueling 51.8 kilometers of the Alicia Ultra 2023.

Jessie Ejoc from Catigbian, Bohol wearing race bib 500117 felt the searing pain of the restrained muscles in the rolling hills of Cayacay where she dropped to fourth and trailing an hour after the first runner Kathleen Kate Ligan of the Cebu Mountain Goats team, her limp clearly manifesting even in the shaded flat single trails Napo, some 32 kilometers into the race, from the start.

An Obstacle Course Race athlete, Ejoc, who completed TAPPs 21K trail in 4:18:38 in 2018 improved her best with a 4:11:00 in 30K trail in 2019, but while training for OCR in the pandemic years, she tore a leg muscle, which she still nurses today.

From gun start at 3:30, Ligan at race bib 50036 led the pack at 1:45:56 in her first 12 kilometers scaling the Labawan Peak, the highest elevation in the trail run, Ejoc lagging some 8 minutes behind.

Leyte runner Sharon Rose Torres in bib 50154, who also tailed Ejoc two minutes later at the Labawan, has Rizalyn Lauron (50038) on her heels a minute at 1:57:02 while Lorie Ann Agosto of Cebu (50083) peaked Labawan at 2:09:32.

At the station 3 in Cayacay, some 30 kilometers into the 50 kilometer race, Ligan still enjoyed a comfortable lead crossing the station at 4:31:00, followed by Torres at 5:12:33, then Lauron at 5:14:17 while Ejoc lagged to fourth at 5:18:02. 

In the next course was some 10 kilometers of relentless uphill.

At kilometer 40, in Althams Resort, Ligan was still leading the pack at 5:41:05, Torres following at 6:34:03, Ejoc grinding back on third at 6:47:08 while Lauron was at her heels at 6:50:02. Agosto passed by the resort at 7:55:29.

Three kilometers later, Ligan still maintained her lead crossing Inahagan Spring at 7:21:13, Ejoc still at third after Torres who pegged her 43 kilometers at 8:29:56, the Boholana runner six minutes behind at 8:35:10.

Lauron reached Inahagan, some 8 kilometers into the finish line at 8:43:55 while Agosto pulled back further, reaching Inahagan at 10:11:12.

At the finish line, Ligan broke the tape at 8:56:10, Ejoc recovered her 6 minute upset and finished the race second with 9:36:46, Torres on third at 9:43:13, while Lauron failed to finish in sub 10, only managing 10:28:26 and Agosto on fifth place at 11:43:43.

In the men’s race, Boholano distance runner Candelario “Andy” Logronio pulled a stunning 6:23:20 victory for the 51.6 kilometers undulating hills and wickedly assaulting terrain in an unforgiving heat, smartly allocating his reserves in the critical 11 kilometers into the finish.

While Logronio (50147) peaked Labawan at 1:15:56, Leyte phenom Andy “Roadboy,” Tunacao was 4 minutes on his heels and Joliemar Aquino some 10 minutes or 1:29:17 behind Tunacao.

Closely lagging behind Aquino was Cebuano runner Alfred Alivio at 1:29:32 and then there was Rodney Cris Ortega (50013) peaking Labawan at 1:30:07.

Strong downhill runners Ortega and Alivio showed superiority in the traverse from Labawan to Purok 5 Cambaol, the duo on a shoulder to shoulder race, Ortega crossing at 2:31:17  while Alivio at 2:31:50.

Logronio, who placed 5th in the 2018 21K TAPP trail challenge knew that a fatal mistake descending Labawan could simply an injury, one he could not afford.

In Cambaol, Logronio was third crossing at 3:0:43, and breathing on his neck was Tunacao 16 minutes later at 3:26:28 and Aquino at 3:36:48.

On the 30th kilometer into the race, it was still a fierce battle between Ortega crossing Cayacay at 3:52:04 followed by Alivio at 3:55:33 while Logronio  kept his pace crossing third in the 3rd race station at 4:09:26, Tunacao at 4:24:01 and Aquino at 4:40:45.

On to kilometer 40, Ortega presson on his lead getting to Althams Resort at 4:59:28 followed by Alivio at 5:01:44, Logronio 22 minutes behind at 5:23:15 and Tunacao at 5:37:32. Aquino stretched back at 6:10:46.

In the last 111 kilometers, Logronio, who, as a college student run from Inabanga to BIT in Tagbilaran to attend to his class, showed the grit of a runner when he recovered the 22 minutes deficit from the first and heaped another 23minutes to claim the Alicia Ultra Marathon classic win at 6:32:20.

Tunacao, who knew Logronio was the guy to beat, kept Logronio as his guide an in the last hour, covered the next 11 kilometers to emerge at the Alicia Gymnasium second male to complete the 51.6 mostly runnable race in fashionable time of 6:35:21.

Aquino placed third at7:16:36 as he passed through Ortega and Alivio, both humping and puffing out of gas in the last 11 kilometers.

Ortega finished fourth at 7:34:57 while Alivio completed the race at 7:46:23.

Of the 144 registered runners in the 50 kilometer ultra, only 56 runners finished the course, 23 did not finish and 65 did not start the race, according to Race Director Engr. Richard Anania.

"I want to thank my LGU Family for all your dedication and hard work in making this event possible. Special thanks to Mrs. Godelia Lumogdang, former Municipal Tourism Officer designate, for facilitating the planning for the event," said Alicia Mayor Cesyl Balahay, event organizer. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)