1ST WEST COAST 200K SINGLE STAGE (WC200SS) ULTRA MARATHON RACE: Top 5 Finish

200 kilometers  in  48 hours or less in a single stage from Subic Freeport, Olongapo City to Alaminos, Pangasinan. This is the daunting challenge the WC200SS Ultra offered. Just thinking about the magnitude is making me thirsty. 

For us mere mortals, 200 kms is already the equivalent of a month’s worth of running.  It would seem there are many demi-gods in the local running community and 44 of these extraordinary individuals answered the starting gun of the inaugural WC200SS at 4am in the morning of November 1, 2013 at the Remy Field Oval Track in Subic.  Target destination is the finish line at the Port of Barangay Lucap in Alaminos.

In roughly 33 hours after the start, we know of the top 5 finishers.  The info is courtesy of our classmate Ruben Fajardo who was monitoring the developments in the ultra race.

1st  Roberto Abad         -31 hrs, 5 mins & 34 secs.                           

2nd Alfred Delos Reyes -32 hrs, 52 mins & 7 secs.

                                     

3rd  Wilnar Iglesia        -32 hrs, 52 mins & 8 secs.

                                     

4th  Henry Laron          -33 hrs, 12 mins & 59 secs.

                                     

5th  Bob Castilla         -33 hrs & 13 mins & 0 sec.              

Complete official results of the WC200SS are available at the website of the Race Director, Ret. Gen. Jovenal Narcise aka Bald Runner (http://baldrunner.com/2013/11/06/official-result-2nd-west-coast-200k-multi-day-stage-ultra-marathon-race/).

We of course have the 5^th finisher in bold letters as he is our very own. Bob is a member of the Ateneo de Naga HS Class of 1983.  He is, by far, the best and most enduring runner  among the  83neans. Being part of the Top 5, Bob is in select company. The 2^nd and 3^rd finishers of the 2013 WC200SS are champions of the Bataan Death March 160K ultra. The accomplishment of Bob becomes more extraordinary when taking into consideration that he did not have a dedicated support vehicle and crew for this running adventure.  

Gratulatione. Felicidades. Kompliman. Selamat  and congratulations in a hundred more languages to all the participants  of the WC200SS and its Race Director.  You are to be commended for pushing further the ultra running envelope in our country.

P.S. 

Bicolano Penguin has requested Bob to write about this ultra adventure. In due time, we will have it posted in this blog.