While headed for the exit after watching the PBA games at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday, I felt a tap on my back. It was one of the league?s top players, who was also leaving the coliseum. I would not have noticed the mestiza-looking girl in black who was walking ahead of him in a group, had he not introduced her. ?Tita, this is my girlfriend,? the cager said. I did not recall him mentioning a name. For a moment I was speechless. The girl paused for a while to acknowledge the introduction, and then moved on. The cager stayed for awhile, perhaps to observe my reaction. * * * Only about three months ago, the cager and his live-in partner had a church wedding. The event was even announced on television during a game. The girl he was with certainly wasn?t the bride. The cager quickly explained in so many words, again without mentioning names, ?split na kami.? I remained motionless and speechless as he left me and followed the girl in black. The cager had been living for some years with the girl he married. Recently, they decided to legitimize their union and the status of their daughter by getting married in church. Apparently, only to separate after some weeks. * * * Runners from halfway around the globe flew in to participate in the recent Vertical Marathon organized by Discovery Channel and Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. The interesting story here is that some Filipinos won over Kenyans, who are reputed to be the fastest runners in the world. Marvin Guarte outpaced Philip Rumoh of Kenya by three seconds in the century event to romp off with the title while Hannah Go (8:25) bested both her male counterpart Michael Bacong (8:52) and Kenyan runner-up Irene Kip Chumba in the half-century race. The first vertical marathon staged in the country was a star-studded affair. Celebrities like Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla, US Ambassador Harry Thomas, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, WWF Managing Director Lory Tan, FBDC Director Noel Kintanar, and GK Director Eeana Meloto, among others, came at the break of day to watch the participants run nine ramps of parking spaces, climb up the stairs to the 25th floor, return to the lobby of the Bonifacio E Services Bldg. and run around the park to conclude the race. * * * ?Thank God the weather cooperated,? said a sleepless Jacque Ruby, Discovery Channel?s PH representative who was also the event organizer. Jacque said they had offered two dozen eggs to Sta. Clara for clear skies that day. The race started at 6 a.m. and finished in more than two hours. ?Everyone completed the race, nobody quit. More important, except for a mild case of cramps, nobody got hurt.? * * * At 1 p.m. today, Pinoy boxing aficionados will get the chance to see how Drian ?Gintong Kamao? Francisco knocked out heavily favored Duangpetch Kokietgym of Thailand in the 10th round of their showdown in Bangkok early this week. The classic match saw Francisco (16-0-1, 16 KOs) win the biggest, toughest fight of his career by knocking out Kokietgym (52-2-1, 21 KOs) in a rough match marred by low blows from the Thai, who was deducted a point in the sixth round. Given a five-minute rest to recover after that foul blow in the sixth, a revitalized Drian went on to floor the Thai twice in the same round. The fight ended with a straight and right uppercut from Drian that left the Thai sprawled on the mat. ?Pinoy fans will get a chance to witness all these exciting action at 1 p.m. over Solar TV and Solar Sports today with replay on Solar sports at 7 p.m.,? announced Solar Marketing services manager Tek Major.
