Milo champs going to Boston Marathon this time
From Pampanga to Boston.
That’s where the national champions will be headed this time as slots for the prestigious Boston Marathon will be up for grabs in the 39th National Milo Marathon that gets going this month.
The first of the 18 legs kicks off in Dagupan on June 28 with the 42K national finals on Dec. 6 to be held in Angeles City in Pampanga for the first time.
“The new route will be a good challenge for our runners,” race organizer Rio dela Cruz said of the finals of the country’s most prestigious foot race.
“A lot of people will be surprised by the change of venue, but it’s also for our runners,” added Milo sports marketing manager Andrew Neri. “Metro Manila has become highly urbanized. We don’t want to be a hurdle to our runners.”
On top of the P300,000 cash prize, the national champions will earn berths to the 2016 Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon.
“Boston is the mecca of marathon and we also want our winners to race with the world’s best runners,” said Neri. “It’s a chance for us to know where we rank.”
Defending champions Rafael Poliquit and Mary Joy Tabal, who earned slots in the Los Angeles Marathon last year, head the entries in the event that is expected to draw over 230,000 runners.
“The Milo Marathon is where I started,” said Tabal, who clinched a silver medal in the 42K in the recent Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.
OTHER ELIMINATION LEGS: Baguio (July 5), Tarlac (July 12), Balanga (July 19), Manila (July 26), Calapan (Aug. 2), Lipa (Aug. 9), Naga (Aug. 16) Lucena (Aug. 30), Iloilo (Sept. 20), Bacolod (Sept. 27), Tagbilaran (Oct. 4), Cebu (Oct. 11), General Santos (Oct. 18), Davao (Nov. 8), Butuan (Nov. 15) and Cagayan de Oro (Nov. 22).
