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It was before the sun came out that runners in the 21k and 42k distances of the Casa de Campo Corre rose early and headed to the starting line of the race for the Hogar del Niño. The 4th consecutive year of the marathon drew the support of close to 1,000 runners on Sunday, November 26th who were enthusiastic to be part of this community experience for a good cause.
Brightly colored participants were dressed in not-to-be-missed orange sports shirts that were not only cool designs but excellent at wicking away the morning heat— which of course came out in all its glory with the sun! Runners ready for the 10k and 5k routes had been thoroughly warmed up as several joined the long distance runners in Zumba lessons that started at 5:40am and again at 6:30am!
The event had the return of celebrity personalities Carlos Sánchez (Carlos Comic) and Renata Soñé, as well as Gabriela Reginato for her first year. The trio were very entertaining on stage, creating an upbeat atmosphere bouncing around jokes and friendly conversations with one another. Volunteers with the Hogar del Niño guided runners throughout the race, indicting the twists and turns of the routes that curved through the resort’s beautiful properties and landscaping. Whether participants were walking or jogging, they were cheered on by staff, given the amount of kilometers remaining, and provided with water throughout the race. Many running teams were among the Casa de Campo residents and Hogar del Niño students participating, and we noted 026 Runners, El Seibo Corredores, Monte Cristi Corre, La Guagua, and Constanza runners in attendance, among others.
As each runner crossed the finish line they were handed a goodie bag of healthy snacks, water and gatorade, and a bright shiny medal. Everyone agreed this was an awesome award— we all felt like winners no matter the time! It didn’t take long for a celebration to be in full swing with music, local venders, and a raffle! Dom Ham sold delicious burgers, Higueral was serving up hotdogs to an incredibly long line, Café Santo Domingo was at the coffee stands, Vitasalud offered vitamin water and protein, and several more aided attendees with whatever they needed. A recovery stand was set up in case runners were feeling uneasy and Casa de Campo’s Pinecrest Physical Therapy could be seen attending to those with leg cramps or sore muscles.
A raffle by the stores Kiwi and Vilebrequin gifted lucky men and women with amazing swimsuits in between hearing the details of the overall winners who also received goodie bags, gift certificates, and more. In the men’s category, Ramonicto Mejia earned 1st place in the 5k, Gilberto Santana Manzano 1st place in the 10k, Alexis Bautista 1st place in the 21k and Pedro Mora 1st place in the 42k. Pedro ran an average of 3:34 per kilometer for a total time of 2 hrs 30 minutes and 28.5 seconds! A huge congratulations!
In the female category, first place for the 5k went to Idelcia Yolis, 1st place in the 10k Jordania Diaz, Jaisa Sanchez 1st place in the 21k, and Pascuala Beras took home the prize for 1st place in the 42k. At age 49, Pascuala showed us that age imposes no limits as she was the oldest runner out of both the men and women’s categories to win. A quick stride at 5:15 per kilometer enabled her to come in 30 minutes before her closest competitor! See the complete list of winners below, and if you’re interested in knowing your personal score, look it up on www.timingco.net.
Overall, the day was sunny and filled with a lot of spirit for the Hogar del Niño. We are so proud of everyone who raced and gave it their all for the children of La Romana!
Men’s Category 42k 1st place: Pedro Mora, 2:30:28.5 2nd place: Livio Echavarria, 2:39:29.2 3rd place: Toribio Pichardo, 2:42:11.4 21k 1st place: Alexis Bautista, 1:13:14.5 2nd place: Maria Doroteo, 1:13:15.8 3rd place: Emmanuel Hernandez, 1:13:22.2 10k 1st place: Gilberto Santana Monzano, 32:32.6 2nd place: Luis Enrique Medina, 32:32.6 3rd place: Jose Rubiera, 32:44.9 5k 1st place: Ramoncito Mejia, 16:18.9 2nd place: Johnny Alexander Pena, 17:07.8 3rd place: Sami Junior Vazquez, 17.13.8 Women’s Category 42k 1st place: Pascuala Beras, 3:41:37.5 2nd place: Santa Giron, 4:10:16.5 3rd place: Marien Jimenez Nuñez, 4:11:11.6 21k 1st place: Jaisa Sanchez, 1:39:37.8 2nd place: Deimi Padilla, 1:31:33.2 3rd place: Ana Leidys Arias, 1:38:39.8 10k 1st place: Jordania Diaz, 39:06.3 2nd place: Deyanira Diaz, 40:19.3 3rd place: Jhoenly Gutierrez, 41:12.5 5k 1st place: Idelcia Yolis, 20:05.4 2nd place: Anny Yahaira Jimenez, 20:33.3 3rd place: Mical Esther Abreu Alvarez, 20:50.2View more pictures taken at the Casa de Campo Corre for the Hogar del Niño in the gallery below, provided by the Patronato Benéfico Oriental:
