INQUIRER Sports

THE PHILIPPINE AMateur Track and Field Association will recommend the indefinite suspension from the national pool of Christabel Martes, who joined and won the Milo Marathon on Sunday in defiance of the association?s ban.

Martes, who pocketed P75,000 for topping the marathon?s national finals for the fourth time, also lost her Laos Southeast Asian Games slot.

If the Philippine Sports Commission upholds the suspension, she would forfeit her P15,000 monthly allowance as a national athlete.

Patafa chief Go Teng Kok said yesterday that while he sympathized with Martes, who cited financial needs for joining the 42K event, there are rules that have to be followed.

?How can she perform well in the SEA Games when she?s already burned out?? Go said in a telephone interview. ?The SEA Games is just 60 days away. I don?t think she will win any medal there.?

The other SEA Games marathon bets are 2007 Thailand Games bronze medalists Eduardo Buenavista and Jho-Ann Banayag, and Allan Ballester, also a former Games champion

Martes, the 2005 Manila Games women?s marathon gold medalist, accepted her fate even before the 4:30 a.m. starting gun was fired on Sunday, but still went to the Patafa office yesterday to appeal her case.

?I still want to talk to her some other day,? said Go, who had to rush to a meeting. ?I want to find out how I can help her.?

Men?s winner Cresenciano Sabal suffered a similar fate after winning the second of his three national Milo Marathon crowns in 2007.

Sabal said on Sunday he would rather compete in other foreigner-spiced marathons where he could gain more experience.

Patafa is trying to shield its athletes from injuries and burnouts, hence the directive for them not to join long-distance races three months before the SEA Games.

In the case of marathon athletes, they are allowed to run in races not longer than 10 kilometers.