An 11-year-old athlete from Concepcion, Iloilo has made history at the 65th Palarong Pambansa by breaking a 17-year-old record in the elementary girls’ 200-meter run — while running nearly barefoot.

Trixia Anne Arellano of Western Visayas clocked in at 26.4 seconds, shattering the 26.7-second record previously set by Maureen Schrijvers in 2008. 

The event was held at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

Wearing only tape to protect her feet, Arellano surged past her competitors to claim the gold medal.

Anthonette Delos Santos followed closely with a silver-medal finish at 26.71 seconds, while Dale Jayne Tagalog took bronze with a time of 26.86 seconds.

Arellano’s performance didn’t stop there as she also clinched another gold medal for Western Visayas in the 100-meter dash, finishing in 12.84 seconds.

In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd)-Western Visayas praised Arellano’s perseverance and determination.

“We are glad that her sacrifices paid off and her journey from the lower meets up to the 2025 Palarong Pambansa is a testament of how Champions persevere in their respective playing events and in the end achieve their goal of being victorious,” DepEd-6 said in a statement, emphasizing that the choice to run nearly barefoot was her own.

Iloilo Provincial Administrator Dr. Raul Banias also extended his congratulations and reaffirmed the local government’s support for Arellano through its sports development program.

“I’ve reached out to her teachers and school head to help mentor her not just in sports but also in academics — so she can thrive both on the track and in the classroom […] We’ll include her in the Batang Pinoy competition to give her even greater exposure and training,” Banias said.

As of 9:00 a.m. on May 29, 2025, the overall medal tally for the 65th Palarong Pambansa places Western Visayas in third, with 24 gold, 29 silver, and 25 bronze medals.

The National Capital Region leads the rankings with 66 golds, 41 silvers, and 21 bronzes, followed by Region 4A with 30 golds, 42 silvers, and 27 bronzes.AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo