TARLAC City -- Veterans Jujet de Asis and Geraldine Selza ruled the men and women’s division respectively in the Tarlac leg of the 35th National Milo Marathon on Sunday here.
The 30-year-old De Asis broke away from the lead pack in the last six kilometers to cross the finish line all alone in 1:14:50, which was just enough to pocket the P10,000 top purse. Not to be outdone, the 27-year-old Selza, proved her mastery of the flat and downhill course by coming up with a best time of 1:22:48 to top the 21-km race for the female division.
A close second behind De Asis was Isagani Tacutaco who timed 1:15:39 while Greg Dansen Osorio was third in 1:16:47 and Rodolfo Katagino settled for fourth in 1:19:18. Ryan Mendoza completed the top five positions with a clocking of 1:19:40.
“I am extremely happy that I won the race today. I am glad to see changes in my performance due to my hard training,” said the Philippine Army enlisted man De Asis, who will spend his earnings for preparations for the finals.
Selza, a teammate of Mercy Taypoc, Hernani Sore and Jessa Mangsat at the University of Baguio track and field team and fellow 2011 National Milo Marathon Northern Luzon regional race leg champions, hopes to regain the 42-km National Finals championship, which she won in 2002 with a time of 3:12:38.
“I hope to again win the title of the National Milo Marathon Queen this year by topping the 42k in the finals. I am inspired by my idol, Jho-Ann Banayag who is my model for her athleticism and determination,” said Selza, a Computer Studies Major at UB.
Joan Managat settled for second in the distaff side with a time of 1:38:07, Adjenie de los Santos finished third in 1:49:32 and Rowena Valdez at the fourth position with a clocking of 1:52:51. Both De Asis, a 9th finisher in the National Finals last year and Selza will join 19 other age group qualifiers to the National Milo Marathon Finals.
Another 500 pairs of shoes were donated by Nestle officials to the students of Suizo Bliss Elementary School, Tarlac West Central Elementary School, Sapang Palay National High School, San Miguel Central Elementary School and Dalayap Elementary School, as part of the National MILO Marathon “Help Give Shoes” advocacy program. A total of 4,200 pairs of shoes were extended to public school children nationwide last year and this year the organizer is targeting 10,000 more shoes to be donated to 100 schools to 100 students all over the country in line with the company’s 100th year celebration
After the Tarlac leg the qualifying races will then shift to high gear with the staging of the Metro Manila elimination on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia in Paranaque City before travelling south for the Batangas leg on August 21 and proceed to Puerto Princesa City in Palawan on August 28.
The Naga race will follow on Sept 4 and next in San Pablo City on Sept 11, then the Iloilo qualifying (Sept 18), Bacolod (Sept 25), Cebu City (Oct 2), Tagbilaran (Oct 9), Cagayan De Oro (Oct 16), Butuan (Oct23), General Santos (Oct 30) and Davao City on Nov 6. The National Finals will be held in Manila on December 11.
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