BUTUAN City’s Artjoy Torregosa and Kenya’s Kelvin Kiplagat ruled the 10-kilometer races of the rain-drenched Asics META: Time: Trials (MTT) Philippines on Sunday at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City on Sunday.
Torregosa delivered one of the most stirring moments of the race as she stormed past favored contenders, including national team standout Joida Gagnao, to claim the women’s overall crown with a time of 36 minutes and 23 seconds.
‘I really didn’t expect this,’ said Torregosa. ‘There were members of the national team in the race and I’m not part of that team. My only strategy was to keep up with them.’
‘But in the last lap, when I asked myself if I still had something left, that’s when I gave it everything I had,’ she added.
Torregosa was in emotional pain throughout her training following the death of his grandfather.
‘I dedicated this run to my grandfather,’ she said. ‘I wasn’t able to attend his funeral because I had to train for this race.’
Kiplagat, a first-timer in local races, defied both unfamiliarity and a crack field to post a victorious 30:32 finish and held off local aces Richard Salaño (30:41) and Sonny Wagdos (31:22), who had recently won in Thailand.
‘It felt kind of funny and exciting at the same time,’ said Kiplagat, who hails from the high-altitude town of Eldama Ravine. ‘This is my first time racing in the Philippines, and the weather was challenging, my body was hurting. But I gave it everything.’
Like Torregosa, Kiplagat was not among the pre-race favorites but his goal is to follow the path of greatness carved by compatriots Eliud Kipchoge and Daniel Simiu.
Both champions ran away with P100,000 each but more than the cash prize, they left an imprint of perseverance on a day when the rain tried but failed to steal the spotlight.
Despite the rain, the event-part of the global Asics META: Time: Trials series-was hailed as a resounding success with more than 3,000 runners of all backgrounds turning out for the precision-focused loop course, energized by hydration stations, elite pacers and a cheering crowd that braved the storm to support every stride.
Rounding out the top 10 in the women’s division were Christine Hallasgo (37:07), Jessa Mae Roda (38:45), Nicole Diloy (38:57), Michelle Zamora (39:22), Macrose Dichoso (40:18), Melljoy Gonzales (40:35), and Maricar Camacho (40:54).
In the men’s division, Dickyias Mendioro (31:25), Eduard Flores (31:32), Mark Mahinay (31:38), Arlan Arbois (31:47), Junel Gobotia (32:02), Roy Laudit (32:14), and Corsino Satinitigan (32:19) completed the Top 10.
According to Kabir Buxani, Chief Executive Officer of Sonak Retail Group-the official distributor of Asics in the Philippines-the event was more than just a race.
‘We’re proud to bring this global performance race concept to local runners and to witness how the Filipino running community embraced it with so much passion,’ Buxani said. ‘Today was about every athlete discovering what’s possible when focus, preparation and innovation come .’
Runners were also given the exclusive opportunity to test the brand’s latest innovations, including the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, Metaspeed Edge Tokyo and the newly introduced Metaspeed Ray. These state-of-the-art racing shoes are engineered to optimize stride mechanics and running economy, offering a competitive edge to those looking to smash their limits.