Robyn Brown (left) hurdles to victory in the women’s 110-meter hurdles of the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 3, 2025.
Handout photo
CAPAS, Tarlac — Robyn Brown ruled the women’s 100-meters to secure a golden treble in the ICSTI Philippine Athletics Championships, during its penultimate day on Saturday at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium.
Brown pulled away with a time of 13.85 seconds in the meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association. She was far ahead of Thailand’s Arisa Weruwanark (14.15) and Malaysia’s Lee Yie Teng (14.48), who settled for silver and bronze, respectively, in the blue-ribbon competition supported by the ICTSI Foundation and CEL Logistics.
After an emphatic win over Paris Olympian Lauren Hoffman in the 400-meter hurdles last week, Brown added her second mint in anchoring the national 4×400 mixed relay team also composed of Kharis Lark Rey Pantonial, Bernalyn Bejoy and Hussein Lorana to triumph in a time of 3:29.85 late Friday night.
READ: Brown stuns Hoffman in 400m hurdles clash in ICTSI PH meet
Brown, whose mother hails from Imus, Cavite, remained humble at the feat, saying: “It (the 100 hurdles) is not an easy event. It was tough because unlike the 400-meter hurdles there is not much of foot touchdown.”
“It all came down to good work, great hurdle work,” said the athlete, disclosing that she had been closely watching the videos of 32nd Cambodia SEA Games bronze medalist Jelly Diane Paragile, who finished fourth in the event and was by her side during the interview after the race.
Brown acknowledged that she came into the meet “with no expectations.”
“At one point I was going to quit after not making the Olympics, [and] bringing myself back to the track has been an emotional performance for me,” she added. “So I am enjoying the place I am at, enjoying training again, and just enjoying being back in the Philippines.”
READ: Singapore’s Louis, Australia’s Laurance top century dash in ICTSI PH trackfest
John Cabang Tolentino (left) is on the way victory in the men’s 110-meter hurdles of the ICTSI Philippine Athletic Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac, May 3, 2025. At right is FILAM Sports bet Kaleb Emmanuel Luton, who took the bronze medal.
Handout photo
Meanwhile, Paris Olympian John Cabang Tolentino made a successful return to competition in the men’s 110-meter hurdles.
With barely 45 days of training and still recovering from a leg injury that force him to withdraw from the repechage round of the Paris Olympics, Tolentino survived the challenge of former Southeast Asian Games champion Clinton Kingsley Bautista and FILAM Sports’ Kaleb Emmanuel Luton, clocking 13.98 seconds for the down-the-wire win.
Fresh from military training, Bautista, the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games gold medalist, settled for runner-up honors in 14.16 seconds while the 6-foot-3 Luton, a former volleyball player, (14.29) bagged bronze in his debut in the trackfest also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, United Auctioneers Inc., Milo, Wireless Link and Masiv Sports.
National team middle distance runner Frederick Ramirez, who looked stale with just a month’s preparation for the event, faded in the last 50 meters and settled for second place in the men’s 400 meters in 47.71 seconds behind Thailand gold medalist Jeerayu Pieenaram (47.37).
Tolentino was also delighted by his return to track after being out of commission since December due to the injury suffered in the Paris Summer Games.
“I wasn’t able to train because of the injury on the right leg, the head leg. It has been a very, very hard road until so now I am glad I am back,” said the athlete, who admitted that his leg still hurts on occasion.
“The pain is more or less six or seven out of 10. But I am okay that I am happy to train so I can run in the Asian championships,” addedTolentino, referring to the meet set from May 27 to 31 in Gumi, South Korea.
“Kulang talaga sa ensayo sir, mga isang buwan pa lang. Pero maganda na rin ang oras dahil na kapag 47.7 pa rin ako,” said Ramirez, who took the bronze in the event in the 32nd Cambodia SEA Games in 46.63 seconds.