BEMEDALED Jonathan Pido crowned himself champion of the Davao Ultramarathon Club (DUC) 300-kilometer race that kicked off in Butuan City and finished in Davao City last Sunday, August 6.
Pido, DUC's vice president, who is also the top runner of Team Titans Davao (TTD) and Philippine National Police (PNP), timed a total of 56 hours, 56 minutes and 35 seconds to annex the male division title of the event organized as part of the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC)'s centennial anniversary celebration.
He sped past fellow-TTD Jay Bustamante (57:41), Michael Angelo Lopez of Team PRC (62:08.24) and Carlo Yap of Cagayan de Oro City (64:53.48) who grabbed the next three spots.
"It is a big achievement for me especially in my racing career to finish the longest ultramarathon race in Mindanao," Pido said, adding that he is proud to bring honor for the PNP.
He said that a clear mindset helped him endure the long course. "I also had endurance training prior to the race and I made sure to have proper food intake as well as hydration," he said.
Pido, however, has yet to recover before racing again. He also won the DUC 260km ultramarathon that covered the course from Mati City to Davao City.
Hedda Riola of Team HekHek, meanwhile, topped the female category after she registered 62:47.23.
She bested next two finishers Rosselle Abajo (74:39.45) and Azineth Balbutin (76:48.57).