New locations, new experiences and a bigger celebration that will make the 42nd edition of the National Milo Marathon something to remember.
This is what the country’s biggest and longest-running foot race offers this year when the Metro Manila leg gets going on July 29 with the City of Manila as host.
And that’s with the national finals held on the City of Laoag on the day the Ilokanos hold a big party to celebrate their bicentennial year on Dec. 9.
“The race and with the final leg in Laoag, that’s something new. And it will be interesting to promote other areas as well,” said Joey Uy, senior vice president and business executive officer of Nestle Philippines during yesterday’s launch at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City.
The race route of the final leg will pass through several scenic locations, including the Paoay and Laoag sand dunes, and thats for the long distance categories like the 21 km and 42km events. Shorter distances race in the 3km, 5km and the 10km categories will be held also.
Runners will pass through nearby landmarks and places of interest like the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and St. Augustine’s Church in Paoay, and the Kapurpurawan rock formation in Burgos.
The Metro Manila finals on July 29 will have its start and finish at the Mall of Asia grounds. But it will bypass the City of Manila due to the unavailability of Roxas Blvd. due to traffic issues.
Instead, routes are being drawn to involve the cities of Taguig, Paranaque, Makati and Pasay City.
Eleven legs will be held, with the first qualifying race to go in Urdaneta on July 15.
Jeorge Andrade and Mary Joy Tabal will be back to defend the men’s and women’s crowns and gain chances to participate in two international half-marathons in the early part of 2019.
Slots to the national squad that will see action in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games are also up for grabs.
Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico, head of the national governing body in athletics, have asked organizers not to involve in the winners in full marathon races, and instead since the half marathons.
Juico said this would give the winners time to recover, and be in top shape for the SEA Games.
Organizers are expecting around 150,000 runners to take part in the many legs, which will include Tarlac (Aug. 26), Batangas (Sept. 16), Lucena (Sept. 30), Iloilo (Oct. 70, Cebu (Oct. 14), General Santos (Oct. 21), Butuan (Nov. 11), Cagayan de Oro (Nov. 18).