Hometown bet Brian Lupio stole the thunder from three-time national champion Cresenciano Sabal Sunday in the final qualifying leg of the 35th National Milo Marathon in Davao City.
The 23-year-old Lupio registered a personal-best clocking of 1 hour, 13:33 minutes to rule the 21K race of the 17th and last qualifying race for the national finals.
Digos-born runner Anthony Nerza, the early pacesetter, came in second in 1:14:30, while Sabal, slowed down by leg pain, wound up third with a 1:17:26 clocking.
“I prepared really hard knowing that I will be racing against Sabal and Nerza,” said Lupio, who bucked foot blisters.
It was the second regional Milo title for Lupio, who paced the race with Sabal and Nerza but pulled away in the last seven kilometers.
Lupio won P10,000.
Sabal, the national champion in 2005, 2007 and 2009, took solace in the fact that he earned a spot in the national finals slated in Manila next month, after injury prevented him from finishing the General Santos qualifying race last week.
Sisters Cynthia and Criselyn Jaro posted a 1-2 finish in the women’s 21K race with Cynthia taking the title in 1:31:48.
Criselyn clocked 1:32:47.
Cynthia, 20, who hails from Turil, Davao City, and Criselyn were also among the 23 runners who made the age-group cut off for the national finals.
Rounding out the men’s top 10: Ricky Grande (1:19:02), John Lyd Pasaforte (1:20:41), Mario Ecalner (1:22:02), Robert Daang (1:23:55), Ronald Dagaang (1:23:57), Rodien Hormigas (1:24:01) and Benes