MILO TO SHOWCASE BEST OF CEBU
Organizers hope to showcase best of Cebu in route for Milo marathon Organizers will also award winners in age group for the first time Cebu City will host Milo marathon national finals for first time on Dec. 3
The road going to Cebu gets going as the 41st Milo Marathon opens with a lot of new things in store for the runners. The national finals will be in Cebu on Dec. 3 after the 15 qualifying legs that will be held in various places in the country.
“For the past five years they have been asking me if when Cebu will host the national finals. This year, we accepted the hosting and we will make sure to come up with a route that will showcase the identity of Cebu,” said Milo Visayas organizer Ricky Ballesteros during the launching in Makati City yesterday. “In behalf of Cebuanos, we accept the challenge to host and we will see you in Cebu.”
One of the new things in the national finals this year is that the organizers will award agegroup winners in the 42-kilometer race. The top three in various age group classes will receive an award and token for their feat.
“We decided to award the age-groupers to encourage them to perform at their best. The runners can see how they rank among their same age group class,” said Robbie de Vera, the Milo Sports Executive.
The representative from Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (Aims) will visit Cebu next month to check on the route proposed by the local organizers.
“We cannot use the South Road Properties because there’s an ongoing underpass construction at N.Bacalso road. We will wait for Aims to come over together with Patafa (Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association) so we can come up with the route and finalize it,” said Ballesteros.
De Vera said have are rotating the hosting for the national finals among the key cities of the country for the past three years and said there’s a possibility for Cebu to host it again given its accessibility and potential.
“There’s a lot to look forward to Cebu, especially in sports tourism so it’s going to be exciting. We will rotate the hosting to the key cities, but there’s a possibility that Cebu can host it again,” added De Vera.
Before the national finals, the long-distance runners will join the qualifying legs to make it to the culminating race in December.
The season kicks off with around 10,000 runners in Urdaneta on July 16, while the rest of the legs are in Laoag on July 23, Metro Manila on July 30, Angeles on Aug. 6, Tarlac on Aug. 13, Naga on Aug. 27, Lucena on Sept. 3, Lipa on Sept. 10, Tagbilaran on Sept. 24, Roxas on Oct.1, Iloilo City on Oct. 8, General Santos on Oct. 15, Davao on Oct. 22, Butuan on Nov. 12 and Cagayan de Oro on Nov. 19.
Last year, the Milo Marathon king Jeson Agravante of Bacolod City and Cebuana Mary Joy Tabal were sent to Ottawa Marathon as incentive for winning the race. For this edition, the organizers said they are planning to send the champions to the Tokyo Marathon . /