Jobert Carolino and Mischelle Gilbuena took advantage of the good weather and set a swift pace in the 21K division run at the 38th National MILO Marathon on Sunday in Angeles City, Pampanga. Each received a cash prize of P10,000 and a trophy.Out of the 10,312 runners who joined this leg, Carolino, Gilbuena and 50 others booked their place for the National Finals on December 7 for a chance to be crowned as the MILO Marathon King and Queen and fly to Japan on an all-expenses paid trip to the 2015 Tokyo Marathon courtesy of MILO.
It was a tight race as Jobert Carolino went head-to-head with Crescenciano Sabal and Sherwin Patron. Carolino was behind former champion Sabal for most of the race. As they neared the finish line, Carolino picked up pace and raced to the end, finishing with a time of 01:15:20, relegating Sabal to second place (01:15:35) and Patron to third (01:22:34)*.
On the distaff side, Philippine Air Force member Mischelle Gilbuena clinched the win with a time of 01:33:58. The 26-year-old veteran from Cebu, who usually joins the Tarlac leg of the MILO Marathon, struggled throughout the race because of the unfamiliar route. Still, she persevered under pressure and bested challengers Chloe Jane Ong (01:52:00) and Denise Hernandez (01:54:15)*.
Local stars also shared the spotlight with the top runners. Celebrity environmentalist and weatherman Kuya Kim Atienza, a passionate triathlete and marathon runner, qualified for the National Finals with a time of 01:52:52. Other celebrities who participated in the race include Isabel Granada, Yayo Aguila, Jaycee Parker, Katya Santos and Maui Taylor.
With the support of the Department of Education and the National MILO Marathon runners, MILO’s Help Gives Shoes advocacy will provide 16,000 underprivileged youth with brand new running shoes and reach the 50,000 mark this year. As MILO celebrates its 50th year, Help Give Shoes aims to make the donation to students in Yolanda-hit cities, particularly Tacloban, Ormoc, and Eastern Samar.
