Nathan Naibei yesterday made sure it was worth the trip.

“It took me 25 hours to get here. I took the plane and rode the bus nine hours ,” said the 25-year-old native of Eldoret, hometown to numerous legendary runners from Kenya.

“But not bad,” he added.

Not bad at all after Naibei ruled the second Summit Water Camsur Marathon which started and ended at the sprawling and fun-filled Camsur Watersports Complex.

For winning the country’s biggest marathon ever, the lanky Naibei won the top prize of P125,000 or roughly equivalent to $2,800.

Just two months ago, he won a marathon in Thailand and brought home $4,000.

“This is my first marathon in Manila,” said Naibei, who breasted the finish line, before a huge, cheering crowd, in two hours, 25 minutes 14 seconds.

“I will come back,” he added before getting up onstage to receive his award from Camsur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte.

Naibei said he had informed his family, including his two kids, of his victory by text message, and “they were happy.”

Naibei said he started running when he was nine years old, and the last couple of years have been so productive he was able to put up a small building in Eldoret, and he rents it out.

“I will use my winnings here to make improvements on the building,” he said.

Finishing second and third with their times of 2:29:17 and 2:30:17 were James Tallani and Hailemosiam Kahsay. Kenyan runners also swept the top three places last year

Tallani and Hailemosiam P125,000 for first, P90,000 for second and P50,000 for third.

In the women’s side of the elite category, Rose Jepkembol Chesire of Kenya won in 2:50:26 followed by a pair of local runners that made the host, Camsur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte, proud.

Ailene Tolentino was second in 3:12:39 while Cynthia Jaro came in third in 3:20:17. They also got P125,000, P90,000 and P50,000, respectively, for their feats.

Organizers of this race that drew a total of 21,000 participants offered the same amount in prizes for the locals led by Eric Panique of Antipolo who ruled the men’s side in 2:28:03.

He was followed by Mendel Lopez in 2:34:11 and veteran marathoner and multi-titled Cris Sabal who crossed the finish inside the Camsur Watersports Complex in 2:35:03.

In the distaff side of the 42 km race for locals, Mary Grace delos Santos reigned supreme with her 2:59:53. Second was Monalisa Ambasa (3:15:17) and MiscelleGilbuena (3:31:27).

“It’s good that we now share the same prize with the Kenyans. Otherwise, it all goes to them,” said Delos Santos.

The runners in the full marathon were flagged off at exactly 4 a.m., amid a great fireworks display, and shortly after the participants in the 21K, 10K, 5K and 3K side events took their turns.

For each of the participant, Villafuerte said 10 trees will be planted, meaning in the coming days they will plant 210,000 trees as part of the El Verde program and this year’s theme “Race to a Green Philippines.”

In the men’s 21K event, Mikael Kahsay of Ethiopia emerged the winner at 1:10:57 followed by Kenya’s Benjamin Kipkazi (1:11:34) and Kering Eluid (1:11:49).

In the women’s side, it was Genet Agtew, also of Ethiopia, towing the field in 1:22:22. Local girl Mary Joy Tabal was second in 1:24:31 followed by Kenya’s Rhoda Chelrikui in 1:25:10.

For the local 21K, Brian Lupio of Team Phoenix won in 1:15:54 followed by Gerald Sabal of Manila (1:16:02) and Alquin Bolivar of the Philippine Army (1:16:14).

In the women’s side, Flordeliz Donos of Baguio showed the way in 1:26:57, Luisa Raterta of Sta. Rosa, Laguna in 1:30:12 and Maricil Maquilan of Manila in 1:36:02.

Overall winners in the 21K took home P40,000 for first, P30,000 for second and P20,000 for third. In the local 21K, prizes were P20,000, P15,000 and P10,000, respectively.

The 25-year-old Naibei got token resistance from the rest of the participants in the country’s biggest marathon race ever to win it all with a time of two hours, 25 minutes 14 seconds.

James Tallani and Hailemosiam Kahsay, part of the small group that traveled all the way from Africa, finished second and third with their respective times of 2:29:17 and 2:30:17.

They will home with their cash prizes of P125,000 for first, P90,000 for second and P50,000 for third.

“Not bad,” said Naibei, who hails from Kenya’s western town of Eladoret where he owns a one-storey building which he rents out to support his family, including two kids aged four and two.

“This is my first time in the Philippines but this will not be the last. I will come back here,” he said, adding that the prize money will be used for the improvement of his business back home.

In the women’s side of the elite category, Rose Jepkembol Chesire of Kenya won in 2:50:26 followed by a pair of local runners that made the host, Camsur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte, proud.

Ailene Tolentino was second in 3:12:39 while Cynthia Jaro came in third in 3:20:17. They also got P125,000, P90,000 and P50,000, respectively, for their feats.

“I managed to keep her (Chesire) company until the 20 km mark but when she pulled away, I opted to run my own race. It wouldn’t have helped me trying to catch her,” said Tolentino.

Organizers of this race that drew a total of 21,000 participants offered the same amount in prizes for the locals led by Eric Panique of Antipolo who ruled the men’s side in 2:28:03.

He was followed by Mendel Lopez in 2:34:11 and veteran marathoner and multi-titled Cris Sabal who crossed the finish inside the Camsur Watersports Complex in 2:35:03.

“I just maintained my own pace,” said Panique, who would have loved to compete in the coming SEA Games, but said couldn’t get the slot under the Philippine team.

In the distaff side of the 42 km race for locals, Mary Grace delos Santos reigned supreme with her 2:59:53. Second was Monalisa Ambasa (3:15:17) and Miscelle Gilbuena (3:31:27).

The runners in the full marathon were flagged off at exactly 4 a.m., and shortly after the participants in the 21K, 10K, 5K and 3K side events took their turns.

There were 8,000 runners who took part in the 5K run and more than 8,500 in the 3K run. The starting area was so thick with runners it took more than five minutes to clear after they were fired off.

For each of the participant, Villafuerte said 10 trees will be planted, meaning in the coming days they will plant 210,000 trees as part of the El Verde program and this year’s theme “Race to a Green Philippines.”

In the men’s 21K event, Mikael Kahsay of Ethiopia emerged the winner at 1:10:57 followed by Kenya’s Benjamin Kipkazi (1:11:34) and Kering Eluid (1:11:49).

In the women’s side, it was Genet Agtew, also of Ethiopia, towing the field in 1:22:22. Local girl Mary Joy Tabal was second in 1:24:31 followed by Kenya’s Rhoda Chelrikui in 1:25:10.

For the local 21K, Brian Lupio of Team Phoenix won in 1:15:54 followed by Gerald Sabal of Manila (1:16:02) and Alquin Bolivar of the Philippine Army (1:16:14).

In the women’s side, Flordeliz Donos of Baguio showed the way in 1:26:57, Luisa Raterta of Sta. Rosa, Laguna in 1:30:12 and Maricil Maquilan of Manila in 1:36:02.

Overall winners in the 21K took home P40,000 for first, P30,000 for second and P20,000 for third. In the local 21K, prizes were P20,000, P15,000 and P10,000, respectively.

“Now Filipino runners no longer need to race abroad just to qualify for the Boston Marathon because our very own Camsur Marathon will be a qualifying race to one of the world’s famous running events,” said Camarines Sur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte in yesterday’s PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Ave. in Manila.

The event, the only IAAF- and AIMS-sanctioned local marathon, drew 17,000 participants in its inaugural staging last year, including elite runners from Kenya and Ethiopia plus a slew of local celebrities.

Joining Villafuerte in the session was race director Rio dela Cruz, who confirmed that the Camsur Marathon is the only accredited race course in the country by both the International Association of Athletics Federation and Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.

“This is the major reason why Sunday’s race became a qualifying run for the Boston Marathon,” said Dela Cruz, who himself had to race in the Fresno Marathon in California, another qualifying race, this year before he could compete in the prestigious Boston run.

He added that any Filipino marathoner 34 years old and below who completes the Camsur Marathon in three hours and 10 minutes will earn a ticket to the Boston Marathon scheduled in April 2012.
Villafuerte, whose untiring promotional efforts have made his province arguably the country’s sports tourism capital, added that he has set aside the same attractive cash prizes for the country’s local elite runners who will see action in the event.

“For Filipino elite marathoners, the champion will receive P125,00, runner-up P90,000 and third placer P50,000 in both men’s and women’s divisions of the full marathon, which are the same cash prizes for the overall winners of the Camsur Marathon,” Villafurte said.

Cresenciano and Elmer Sabal, Wenlie Maulas, Jerald De Asis, Alquin Bolivar, Jessie Ano and Ailene Tolentino lead the elite roster of runners vying in the centerpiece 42k race while heading the celebrity cast are Will Devaugn, Rovilson Fernandez, Gem Padilla and Nick Thomas, who will be competing in the 21k run, Michelle Van Ruyven in the 10k and Wendy Valdez and Patty Betita in 5k.

Other backers of the event are 100Plus, Smart, Alaska, Timex, Pioneer Insurance with The Philippine STAR and TV-5 as media partners and Runnr and ROX as registration partners.

This year, the centerpiece 42k is expected to lure the country’s top runners and members of the national pool in a real test of strength and endurance. Other events on tap are the 21k, 10k, 5k and 3k.

The CamSur run is also a race to a green Philippines as it is held to raise funds for the Elverde Movement with 12 million trees targeted to be planted in 2012.

There will be three starting lines with the 42k run set at Convention Center of the CamSur Water Complex with assembly at 3 a.m. with the race proper at 4 a.m.

The 21k event will be fired off at Sagrade while the three other races to start at the Freedom Stadium with the finish line for all events at the CWC Convention Center.

“For every runner that will compete in our marathon, we are committed to plant 10 trees and if we attract 20,000 runners then that will be 200,000 trees. We plan to plant 12 million trees until 2012 and so far we have three million,” he said.

‘Running a marathon is life changing’. A quote I’ve read in many running articles and expressed to me by friends who have ran a marathon.

Admittedly I did not know what this would mean to me, like, what in my life would be altered by completing a marathon? When I crossed the finish line, I knew I would look at myself differently; that at 42 years of age I could do something so physically straining, mentally challenging, persevering in my goal to finish and submitting to faith. Because as all first time marathoners can attest to, when the cramps are starting, you will call on God to help you through.

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In the nick of time, we grabbed her before she fell down. Her friends, following in a van rushed to us as they poured water and tried to feed her some chocolates as she could barely talk. At this point, we were already signalling the paramedics who were 300 meters ahead to come and aid us. When we asked her if she wanted to ride on the van, she answered with a fierce, “No, i want to finish the race”! When the paramedics on bicycles and on ambulance arrived to assist, one of them suggested that they immediately administer first-aid, but she was adamant, trying to cling to us not to let go.

Her legs were wobbly so we had to straighten her up several times and walk very slowly. We were trying to encourage her to be brave, be conscious as she was being poured water and given ammonia to sniff and breathe exaggeratedly. Some arguments ensued with the medics as they tried to end her run with about 600 meters to go.

Her friends or relatives who were walking with us throughout her ordeal even discouraged the medics and asked them to give her her fight. As she was clinging to me, i felt that she was very determined, given the almost nil energy that she had left. Some of the medics understood and relented. They were runners too.

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My son and I joined the more than 17,000 runners in Camarines Sur last Sunday, September 26, 2010. We ran 21K and we both enjoyed the event.

I would forever remember this race for the following reasons:

1. It was my first time to set foot in Bicol and that opportunity was spent doing what I love, running.

2. Camsur people are friendly and warm. They lined-up the road and greeted all runners. I enjoyed exchanging greetings of “good morning” to almost all of them from kids to elders. It was very motivating to run with such warm support from rural folks. I also felt like a celebrity when children and teenagers raised their hands for “high-fives” with me. Some even took my pictures as their souvenir shots. Thank you people of Camsur for your support! Together let us build the nation!

3. I ran side-by-side with green pick-up with radio reporter on board and covering the event live. As the marathon was aired in local radio, the reporter paced with me in the first 3Km of the race. From time to time, we exchanged greetings and smiles. Racing that way was funny and pleasurable.

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