It’s the Paris Marathon for top 2 Filipino finishers in annual PH race

Organizers of the 37th Milo Marathon announce Thursday, June 20, 2013, that the top two Filipino fishers will fly to Paris, host of the 2014 international marathon. The announcement was made in a press conference at the Bayview Hotel in Manila. CELEST FLORES/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – A chance to take their marathon experience to Paris in 2014 awaits the top male and female Filipino runners at the finish line of the 37th edition of the Milo Marathon national finals.

Milo announced on Thursday that the top Filipino finishers will get an all-expense paid trip to join the prestigious Paris Marathon next year.

“The ‘Milo marathon King and Queen’ will be representing the country in the 2014 Paris Marathon. We realized this will add prestige to the race and add credibility,” said Milo executive Andrew Neri in the media launch at Bayview Hotel Thursday.

“It’s important that our winners compete abroad so we know how we fare. Somehow this will also push them to really train and be the best they can be,” he added.

But Neri cleared that if a foreigner topped the national finals, the next best Filipino finishers will be given the tickets to Paris.

This isn’t the first time, however, that the longest running event in the Philippines is sending runners to these competitions, having done so to the Boston Marathon decades ago.

But due to the fatal Boston bombing last April, Milo chose to send the runners elsewhere.

“We really wanted Boston, we had initial talks with them. But because of what happened, we said it might not be good to be associated with Boston. But it doesn’t mean we’re sticking with Paris forever,” disclosed Neri.

The national finals of the Milo marathon are set in December 8 while the Paris Marathon is in April 6.

For head race organizer Rio Dela Cruz, who also ran in Paris last year, it gives the winners enough time to recuperate then resume their rigorous training.

“Things we consider is the month since our finals are in December. At least we’ll have enough time to rest and continue our fitness level by April. We wanted New York but it’s held before our national finals,” said Dela Cruz.

The organizers of the Paris Marathon have reserved two slots for the Philippines, according to Dela Cruz.

Runners may also register online at the official website of the Milo marathon. The registration fee for the 42k elimination race is at P700 while it’s P600 for the 21k half-marathon (Metro Manila races).

Milo will be going to 17 cities in the Philippines this year for the qualifying races, making stops at Puerto Princesa (June 30), Lipa (July 7), Naga (July 14), San Pablo (July 21), Manila (July 28), Iloilo (August 4), Dumaguete (August 11), Tagbilaran (September 15), Cebu (Sept. 22), Cagayan De Oro (Sept. 29), Butuan (October 6), Davao (Oct. 13), General Santos (Oct. 20), Baguio (November 3), Dagupan (Nov. 10), Tarlac (Nov. 17) and Angeles (Nov. 24).