ZEDRICK Borja (left) nips Clifford Pusing in a thriller of a duel in the closing run leg of the Alaska IronKids swim-bike-run race 13-14 category Saturday at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resorts and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO LAPU-LAPU CITY — Zedrick Borja and Moira Frances Erediano dished out top form to nail their second title in the 2018 Alaska IronKids yesterday at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resorts and Spa here.

Borja edged Olongapo’s Clifford Pusing in a pulsating sprint finish in the boys’ premier 13-14 section while local pride Erediano came from behind to snare the girls’ diadem as they emerged two-leg winners.

Borja earlier won the Duathlon race in Subic while Erediano reigned in the first swim-bike-run race in Davao.

The 14-year old Borja battled Pusing in a tight duel all the way home with the former nipping his rival by a hairline with 38 minutes and 24 seconds against 38:24.1.

Earol Belonguil took the bronze with 39:49.5.

“I really pushed it towards the finish and gave it my all,” said Borja, who finally broke through in the Queen City of the South after disappointing finishes in two previous campaigns.

Erediano, on the other hand, recovered from a mediocre swim stint with a strong showing in the bike and run legs.

She only wrested the lead in the first 400 meters of the run phase en route to the gold medal in 41:12.7 while Nicole Marie del Rosario (42:01.1) and Jeanna Mariel Canete (43:11.4) settled for the silver and bronze, respectively.

“It was really challenging,” said Erediano, 13, who wasn’t initially in the Top 5 after her 7:20 clocking in the swim.

“I was really slow in the swim and I had to make fast in the bike and run.”

Other winners in the event were Justin Hermosa (34:49.2) and Kira Ellis (38:02.2) in the 11-12; Carron Paulter Canas (27:48.5) and Zurielle Kenzie Galo (30:29.0) in the 9-10; and Kenshie Luke Cabando (18:52.7) and Christy Ann Perez (21:51.1) in the 6-8 category.