PINAY TOPS EVEREST MARATHON
MANILA, MAY 31, 2008 (STAR) By Rainier Allan Ronda - All six Filipino participants in the highest marathon in the world held last Thursday in Nepal triumphantly reached the finish line, with Carina Dayondon coming in first among foreign female climbers.Calling from the finish line at Namche Bazar in the Khumbu region of Nepal Thursday night, former Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Arturo Valdez shared that Carina Dayondon, one of the three Filipinas who scaled Mount Everest last year, was the first among foreign female participants to reach the finish line, behind seven Nepali women who joined the race.
The prime slot in the men’s division went to a Japanese national.
“We all reached the finish line. And Carina is the first among the foreign females in the finish line behind several female locals,” Valdez told The STAR.
“We’re so happy we all finished the race. We were determined we all would see each other at the finish line,” said Valdez, who was the third oldest participant from a batch of more than 140 racers.
“There’s no injuries among us,” Valdez reported.
Dayondon’s fellow Everest veterans Noelle Wenceslao and Erwin “Pastor” Emata, and other members of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition (FPMEE) team, namely Dr. Ted Esguerra and Fred Jamili, composed the six-man team that successfully participated in the 2008 Hillary-Tenzing Mount Everest Marathon, tagged as the highest marathon in the world.
Valdez clarified that the marathon was not a race to the top of Mount Everest but was a 42-kilometer race from the Mount Everest base camp at the Nepal or south side at an altitude of 17,149 feet, to the town of Namche Bazar, which is at an altitude of 11,300,
The marathon route runs over rough and treacherous trails and while the course is basically downhill, it has two steep uphill sections, Valdez said.
The 6th Hillary-Tenzing marathon 2008 was organized to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the climb to the summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Nepali sherpa, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.
Dayondon was both jubilant and relieved at her feat.
She shared that she has been regarded as a strong contender, with her good physical condition and track record last year.
“I have been told that I’m being regarded as a threat by the locals to beat their women in the race. They told me I’m being closely watched,” Dayondon said.
But despite her eventual eighth place finish, behind seven Nepali women, Dayondon said she is still very happy since she proved that she can finish the marathon.
”Nothing is impossible. The Filipina can do it,” Dayondon said.
Dayondon said her successful participation in the marathon was a fitting commemoration of the anniversary of her climb to the top of Mount Everest in May last year, along with Wenceslao and Janet Belarmino.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo, who learned about Dayondon’s achievement from Valdez, said: “As far as I know, she completed the marathon in six hours and 45 minutes, beating the fastest record of seven hours and 30 minutes.”
Meantime, Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, is arriving in the country tomorrow to be the motivational speaker for employees of Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines.
Last year, P&G asked Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci and the Philippines’ very own world-class bowling champ Paeng Nepomuceno to deliver inspirational talks to its employees, P&G Philippine president and general manager James Lafferty said.
Weihenmayer was born with a disease called retinoschisis and became totally blind at the age of 13. Despite the disability, he pursued his passion for the outdoors and on May 25, 2001, he achieved a major feat by conquering Mt. Everest.
The daring quest landed him on the cover of the June 18, 2001 issue of Time magazine.
The following year, at age 33, Weihenmayer completed his seven-year quest to climb the Seven Summits on each of the world’s continents.
Aside from being an adventurer, Weihenmayer is also a much sought-after public speaker with his innovative ideas and approaches to help people, especially those with disabilities. – With Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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