Panique, Raterta top Milo NCR leg

ERIC Panique barely survived the challenge of Irineo Raquin while Luisa Raterta dominated the distaff side in Sunday’s 42-kilometer Manila qualifier of the 37th National Milo Marathon at Mall of Asia Grounds in Pasay.

The 28-year-old Panique clocked two hours, 30 minutes and 20.51 seconds, just 22 milliseconds faster than Raquin (2:30:20.73).

Last year’s Manila elimination champion Jeson Agravante finished third in 2:41:55.

Raterta crossed the finish in 3:14:17, way ahead of 2012 National Finals third placer Jennylyn Nobleza (3:23:27) and Geralden Sealza (3:32:40).

Panique and Raterta each pocketed P50,000, a trophy and a spot in the National Finals, also at MOA grounds.

Milo will send the top Filipino finishers in the Finals to the 2014 Paris Marathon in April.

However, Panique has yet to decide if he would compete in the Dec. 8 National Finals or at the Southeast Asian Games in Burma (Myanmar) set Dec. 11 to 22.

“I beat Irineo by a mere inch and I feel very fortunate to have done so,” Panique said in Filipino. “We were so close to each other starting from the 25K mark.”

Raterta said she left her pursuers as early as the 10K mark. Her husband is a former runner himself while daughter Leonalyn topped the 3K division with a time of 11:12.

A record 42,214 joined Sunday’s race. Iloilo will host the Aug. 4 elimination. Romina S. Austria