Pinoy runners, nagpasiklab sa London Marathon 2023

LONDON - Sumabak ang ilang Pinoy mula sa iba't ibang panig ng mundo sa makasaysayang London Marathon 2023 nitong April 23. Tinahak ng mahigit 48,000 runners ang 26.2 mile o 42-kilometer course mula sa Greenwich Park bago marating ang finish line sa tapat ng Buckingham Palace.

Dumaan ang mga kalahok sa ilang tanyag na landmarks sa British capital gaya ng Tower Bridge, Big Ben at Trafalgar Square.

Bago pa magtrabaho sa UK bilang nurse, matagal nang pangarap ng 32-anyos na si Emer Diego ang makasali sa London Marathon.

"I have joined a couple of half marathons but never a full marathon.I trained for three months and sacrificed my weekends running relentlessly on the cold pavements of London and it was worth it," sabi kuwento ng London-based healthcare professional.

'Emotional! The feeling was indescribable, probably because I have never experienced it before. Looking back on that day, I must say I killed it,' saad ni Diego nang marating ang finish line makalipas ang apat na oras, 20 minutes, at 18 seconds.

Dumayo naman mula Pilipinas para ibandera ang watawat ng bansa sa prestihiyosong charity event ang negosyante at party-list representative na si Sam Versoza.

Kasama ang celebrity couple na sina Tim Yap at Javi Martinez, nakalikom sila ng mahigit isang milyong piso para sa operasyon ng higit 100 batang may clef palate sa Pilipinas.

‘"This journey is more than fitness for me, it’s more of personal growth, transformation and mental toughness, test of my discipline and grit. There’s more marathon and races to conquer; more charities and people to help," pahayag ni Versoza.

Kahit higit isang dekada nang sumasali sa running events, apat na buwan namang pinaghandaan ng taga-San Francisco, California na si Myra Formoso ang pagsabak niya sa London Marathon.

"The exhilaration I feel upon crossing the finish line is immense. The moments I struggled seem miniscule and far away at that instant. Yes, I am fatigued, my legs are burning up, feet might be blistered, and I'm soaked in my sweat; but, my heart is light and my mind is swimming in endorphins," kwento ni Formoso, isang human resource director para sa isang Silicon Valley tech company.

Balak niya ring kumpletuhin ang Abbott World Marathon Challenge na binubuo ng Berlin, Chicago, New York, Boston, Tokyo at London Marathon.

Unang world major marathon event naman para sa 43-anyos na dentist at nurse mula California na si Darrie Ramboyong ang London Marathon.

Ayon sa kanya: "finishing the last 10 kilometers or 6.20 miles is particularly grueling, a marathoner’s nightmare, indeed, as we usually start to feel the exhaustion. Good thing the crowd uplifts my spirit when I see them cheering for me."

"Nothing beats the feeling of finishing the race especially when you received the medal! That moment feels like a blur, you’ll be filled with emotions, but definitely feels like you’re in cloud nine," saad ni Ramboyong na may personal record na 4 hours, 32 minutes. 

Inspirasyon naman ni Nicco Modesto mula New York, USA ang kanyang namayapang lola sa pagsali niya sa London Marathon.

‘"As a charity runner, I decided to partner with Asthma + Lung UK since I have asthma. I wanted to prove to myself that any condition or illness is not a hindrance to achieve our goals in life," pagbabahagi ng 33-anyos na chief financial officer.

Lumipad din mula New York City ang Filipino restaurant owner na si Joey Chanco patungong UK para maging parte ng London Marathon.‘

"I joined the marathon as part of the world marathon major, going for my fourth star out of six. My dad, who passed away last year, inspired me. As a New yorker, part of joinging was health and part of it was focusing on achieving my goals in life," sambit ni Chanco.

Namayagpag naman sa men's race ng 43rd London Marathon si Kelvin Kiptum ng Kenya sa oras na 2 hours, 1 minute at 25 seconds.

Nanguna naman ang Dutch Olympic track champion na si Sifan Hassan sa women's race na may record na 2 hours, 18 minutes at 33 seconds.

Ayon sa organizers, ngayong taon ang may pinakamaraming sumali sa London Marathon na nakalikom ng milyun-milyong pondo para sa iba't ibang charitable organizations sa buong mundo.

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