A sea of green will sweep the streets of Manila once again, as over 19,909 runners are expected to join the 36th MILO Marathon National Finals this Sunday (December 9). Organizers report that they reached the 200,000 target headcount set at the start of the season, providing a thrilling conclusion to a successful nationwide marathon eventThis year, former MILO Marathon Kings and Queens return to reassert their dominance on their home soil. MILO Marathon Kings Julius Sermona (1:13:02, Angeles), Cresenciano Sabal (1:13:55, Cagayan de Oro) and Eduardo Buenavista (1:13:29, Tarlac) are among strong contenders in the 42K men’s division race
Last year’s fifth placer and fastest Filipino runner Jeson Agravante (2:39:59, Manila 42K) and Eric Panique (Bacolod) are also determined to make a comeback at this year’s finale
According to three-time champion Sabal, winning the National Finals will go beyond the coveted crown and offer a sense of nationalistic pride. “Local runners are not the only ones running for the title. Foreign runners who have already made their mark in Philippine races will make a tremendous effort to win. This poses a big challenge for the Filipino athletic community. The National Finals will be a venue through which we can extend the Filipino reign in our own soil,” he said
The 42K women’s division race will also see a thrilling battle as former MILO Marathon Queens Cristabel Martes (1:34:46, Baguio), Jho-An Banayag (3:02:20, Manila 42K) and Flordilisa Donos (1:26:52, Davao) pursue their fifth, third and second MILO Marathon crown, respectively
To accommodate the growing support of foreign runners, the MILO Marathon National Finals will have two race categories for the 42K and 21K runners. Overseas and local participants can compete and win in the Open category run, and the awards will be given to the top 3 finishers. Only the top 10 Filipino runners will be recognized and awarded in the Local category run. Male and female division champions will each receive P 300,000 from the Open category run, and P 150,000 from the Local category run
Bonus prizes will also be given to local runners, with P50,000 for the first runner who breaks the 2:15:00 invisible time barrier, P20,000 for the first male runner who breaks the 2:18:53 course record set by Eduardo Buenavista, and P 20,000 for the first female runner who breaks the 2:48:16 record set by Jho-An Banayag
About the National MILO Marathon
The National MILO Marathon is an annual marathon event open to amateur and professional runners. From its humble beginnings in 1974 as a single marathon race in Metro Manila attended by 747 participants, the National MILO Marathon has grown to be the biggest, longest, grandest national running event in the country attracting more than hundreds of thousands of runners across the country. The race is organized by RunRio, Inc
