Gardner is Xterra Philippines champ
words and pictures by rick olivares
“What’s your propensity for pain?”
Dave Nicholas, Vice President for Team Unlimited Lcc, the governing body for Xterra, the off-road version of triathlon, asked some 85 athletes from 12 different countries that question on the eve of the first ever staging of the world’s best off-road 42.5 km swim-bike-run race.
For Englishman Sam Gardner, he was going to find out. A few weeks before departing for Mactan, Cebu where the first full Xterra competition would be held, the former firefighter injured his calves. Even on the day of the race, it still bothered him such that he was the last athlete to arrive at the Amara estates in Liloan where the actual competition was held. “Sure I was worried but I didn’t come all the way to the Philippines and watch others run the race. Painful or not, I was going to finish this.”
And 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 59 seconds later, Gardner – who was fifth out of the water which was the first leg of the race and who crashed in the bumpy road of jagged rocks in the Calero Cemetery during the bike leg -- crossed the finish line.
“Sam Gardner,” thundered announcer Jaime Garchitorena as the joyous Englishman slapped high fives with the cheering crowd as he walked towards the finish line some six minutes ahead of his closest pursuer, “You are a true Xterra warrior!”
Minutes later, Texas-born Shonny Vandlandingham outsprinted Swiss miss Renata Bucher to cop the pole position in the women’s pro race with a time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 39 seconds.
The top male Filipino Elite athlete, Neil Catiil of Cagayan de Oro who was also the top local in last year’s Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Camarines Sur, came in fourth overall with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 24 seconds. “Grabe ang init,” he blurted as he crossed the finish line. “Pero hindi tayo magpapatalo!”
Lohriz Echavez, was the top female Filipino Elite athlete as the local girl bested the favored LC Langit with a time of 3 hours, 24 minutes and .06 of a second.
In the relay competition, Team Eman, also of Cebu, clocked in at 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 26 seconds to win their category.
“It feels great to win this,” glowed Gardner of the race. “I knew I didn’t do too well in the swim part but the bike leg is my strength so I told myself that is where I have to make up lost ground. When I crashed in “the graveyard” (the Calero Cemetery), the crowd was just cheering me on. That gave me a massive dose of encouragement.”
Janet Clark, President of Team Unlimited Llc which oversees the Xterra series was very pleased with the race that was organized by Sunrise Events Inc and sponsored by Alaska Milk Corporation, Clear Shampoo, Timex, Prudential Guarantee, Multisport, Solar TV, Oakley, Gatorade, and Crimson Hotel. “The general consensus is that this was a wonderful and mind-blowing experience,” said Clark who was a former top ranking executive of Ogilvy & Mather in Hawaii. “For a first time staging of the Xterra, Sunrise Events, the production people behind it and the people of Cebu did a wonderful job.”
“It would be great to come back and defend my championship,” said Gardner. “Let’s see how we can top this great experience.”
Alaska Milk Corporation President Fred Uytengsu heads on out the road for the bike leg while Senator Pia Cayetano ditches her swim gear to prep for the bike leg.
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