PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur — A relentless Wednesday night downpour lashed the Datu Lipus Makapandong-Gov. Democrito O. Plaza Sports Complex track oval, throwing a treacherous, rain-soaked obstacle at everyone chasing the gold medal in the secondary boys’ 100-meter dash.

But for Marc Eddie Marcos of MIMAROPA, it was a much-needed boost to secure the most prestigious title of the Palarong Pambansa.

With a time of 21.67 seconds, the 17-year-old sprinter from Puerto Princesa City erased the previous record of 21.86 set by current national team member Pi Durden Wangkay in the 2025 Palaro in Laoag City.

While he was happy to finally win a medal in one of the biggest grassroots tournaments backed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the son of a fisherman and a caregiver said he wanted to prove he can beat Wangkay in a real race.

“I can’t say I’m truly the spring king because there’s someone faster than me. I want to beat him (Wangkay),” said Marcos, whose father and mother competed in the Palaro as a basketball player and badminton player, respectively.

“It’s the second time I won a race while it was raining. It happened first last February during our regional meet and since then, I felt like I was being blessed.”

What makes the victory even sweeter for the Grade 12 student of Palawan National School will receive a hefty pay of P50,000 per gold medal he won in the Palaro.

Aside from the 100m event, Marcos also clinched the gold medal in the secondary boys’ 200m and 400m races, giving him a whopping P150,000 cash rewards.

“The incentives are a big deal for me since this is so I could help my parents out. They promised us P50,000 per gold medal,” said Marcos, who is set to continue his track career in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

“Three UAAP schools are recruiting me. I already chose one.”

Also making a splash was Anton Della of Region 1 in the secondary boys’ 1,500m freestyle swimming event after clocking 16 minutes and 38.41 seconds for a new meet record.

Della erased the previous record of 16:51.12 set by Miguel Barreto in the 2019 Palaro in Davao City.

Jamesray Ajido broke the secondary boys’ 100m freestyle event with a time of 52.50 seconds, erasing the previous mark of 52.71 by Sacho Ilustre in the 2017 Palaro in Antique.

With a time of 57.91 seconds, Charles Boneo of CALABARZON reset the elementary boys’ 100m freestyle and erased the 2013 Palaro record of 58.24 seconds by Barreto.