It was estimated 37,063 runners raced to the finish line in the country’s premier footrace, the National MILO Marathon Manila Qualifying Race. On its 38th year the prestigious running event happen early today at SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City, which was dominated by a veteran runner Ireneo Raquin for male and Mary Grace Delos Santos for female at the Milo Marathon 42K category. Both are being trained by coach Mario Castro in Baguio City.
Runners in high spirits readily anticipating the gun start
Raquin and Delos Santos pocketed a cash prize of P50,000 each, a trophy, and a sought-after slot in the National Finals on December 7. As an added motivation for this year’s runners, MILO will send the MILO Marathon King and Queen to Japan on an all-expense paid trip to the 2015 Tokyo Marathon.
Raquin finished at an impressive 02:31:15, which set back rivals Jeson Agravante (02:38:36) and Rafael Poliquit (02:44:15) to second and third place, respectively. The 29-year-old native from Occidental Mindoro, currently based in Baguio, has been joining the MILO Marathon since 2005 and has been consistently qualifying for and placing in the finals. “I didn't expect to win because my fiercest rivals are more experienced than me. I am overjoyed because finally, I won first place,” expressed Raquin. “We aimed to enhance my speed and endurance in training, and I’m happy that it paid off. For the National Finals, I will continue training hard.”
(Above L-R) Ireneo Raquin and Mary Grace Delos Santos victorious as champions for the 42K category of the 38th National MILO Marathon Manila Qualifying Race with (Below L-R) Ms. Ellen Isturis, MILO Team Lead; Ms. Sherilla Bayona, Nestle Philippines Beverages Unit, Business Executive Manager and Mr. Robbie de Vera, MILO Sports Marketing Executive awarding the P50,000 cash prize
On the distaff side, Delos Santos posted a stellar time of 03:08:18 and excelled over fellow elite runners Jennylyn Nobleza (03:17:43) and Aileen Tolentino (03:33:04). The 27-year-old Philippine Air Force member added today’s victory to her long list of local and international awards. “We’re grateful that the weather today was great and we used that to our advantage. We’re also thankful for the abundant water stations which help us runners hydrate during the race,” said Delos Santos. “I felt that my training was not enough. My main aim was to qualify for the finals. I’m very proud to have conquered the 42K event and I will work doubly hard for the National Finals.”
Kids, aspiring runners, running enthusiasts and professional athletes graced the esteemed running event. Other distinguished participants who exhibited their passion for fitness and running are MILO R2 APEX Running School (MARS) founder coach Jim Saret, fellow coach Toni Saret, the MARS graduates and the 2014 The Biggest Loser Contestants.
“We are extremely pleased with today’s turnout. We always welcome runners of all ages and from all backgrounds to join in on the fun,” said Andrew Neri, MILO Sports Marketing Manager. “We take pride in saying that the MILO Marathon inspires not only athletic excellence and sportsmanship, but also camaraderie in the Philippine sports community.”
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.
The qualifying race will resume in Naga on August 24 before heading to Lucena (August 31), Puerto Princesa (September 7), Lipa (September 14), Iloilo (September 21), Bacolod (September 28), Tagbilaran (October 5), Cebu (October 12), Butuan (October 19), Cagayan De Oro (November 9), General Santos (November 16), and Davao (November 23). The National Finals will be held on December 7 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City.
The 38th National MILO Marathon is made possible by Timex, the Bayview Park Hotel Manila, ASICS, Lenovo, Manila Bulletin and Gatorade, along with endorsements from the Department of Education, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
For more information on MILO Philippines, log on to the official website (http://www.milo.com.ph) or the MILO Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/
