Tabal wins half marathon in Canada

2017 Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Rio de Janeiro Olympian Mary Joy Tabal has more than proven her worth as a gold-medal contender for the Philippines in the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games.

The Cebuana running ace ruled the Scotiabank Ottawa Half-Marathon held in Canada on Sunday in one hour, 16 minutes and 27.4 seconds, erasing her previous best of 1:18:44 accomplished in Japan last year.

Tabal qualified in the women’s full marathon event of the Rio de Janeiro Games through the same Scotiabank Ottawa race last year. At that time, she timed 2:43:31 to meet the Olympic qualifying standard of two hours and 45 minutes.

After clocking 35:44 halfway through the cool and flat course, the 27-year-old went on to finish eighth overall with seven male marathoners crossing the line ahead of her.

Canadian Johan Trimaille topped the men’s race in 1:12:42 followed by fellow Canadians Jordan Monnink (1:13:55) and Ronan Tunney (1:14:13).

Brittany Moran checked in second in the women’s race, over two minutes after Tabal reached home.

Controversy surrounded the participation of Tabal in the Rio Olympics after she qualified even without the recognition of the local track and field association.

Hands-down the country’s top lady marathoner, the pride of Barangay Guba in Cebu is the reigning Milo marathon queen, having won the premier long-distance race four times in a row since 2013.

Tabal got a silver in the 2015 Singapore SEA Games, making her a cinch to suit up for the Philippine team in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games on Aug. 19-30.