Miranda, Languido reach 26th MILO National finals

BUTUAN CITY, November 18, 2012 – Elite runners Judelyn Miranda and Richeel Languido dominated the 21-k Butuan qualifying leg of the 36th National MILO Marathon participated by 7,859 runners, organizers said on Sunday through a press statement.

Reasserting her dominance in the sport, seasoned trackster Miranda finished far ahead of her distaff division contenders with a time of  one hour, 28 minutes and 28 seconds to claim her fourth MILO Marathon Butuan title and a spot in the National Finals for another chance of bringing home the coveted national title.

Judelyn Miranda arrived at the finish line
all by her lonesome.

"I placed ninth in last year's finals, but I am determined to take home the title this season," said the Tagum City native.

Miranda recently copped the top prize in the Timex Run Davao and is set to resume her training to develop her pace and shape for the coveted crown.

Completing the top three spots were Vivian Avergonzaga (1:36:52) who salvaged a second place finish followed by Roxanne Maabang (1:38:40).

In the men’s division, Languido posted a time of 1:13:25 in earning the victory.

The 26-year old said he is determined to nab his first MILO Marathon title in the National Finals.

“Since my athletic debut in 2009, competing in the MILO Marathon National Finals is by far the biggest challenge of my running career. I have never been more passionate for the sport than I am now. Although it is too early to tell whether I have a shot at the title this season, I believe that with perseverance and practice, I will be able to secure a spot in the standings,” said the Malaybalay, Bukidnon native who works as a watchman in a banana mill.

Languido will be running alongside his first cousin Junel Languido, who won the MILO Marathon Cebu race title in October, in the national finals set on Dec. 9 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Richeel Languido (left) and Judelyn
Miranda shows off their trophies
after topping their respective 21K
Divisions that paved the way for
their inclusion in the national finals this
December at the Mall of Asia
in Pasay City

Jerald Zabala (1:14:45) and Philip Dueñas (1:16:26) earned podium finishes as second and third places, respectively.

For the school category awards, the Agusan National High School sent in 677 student runners to wrap the “Biggest School Delegation” plum, while Patin-ay National High School Agusan brought home the “Fastest School Delegation” award with an aggregate time of 23:48.57.

Both Miranda and Languido took home the P 10,000.00 top purse for winning the Butuan leg, and will lead several other qualifiers into the 36th MILO Marathon National Finals on December 9 at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds in Pasay City.

Apart from proving herself in the national athletic arena, Miranda seeks to encourage the youth to engage in sports by supporting MILO's Help Give Shoes program.

"I'd like to inspire young Filipinos to develop an interest in sports and to help them discover their potential to become the next generation of champions."

Through its advocacy program called ‘Help Give Shoes’, which is now on its third year of staging, MILO donated a total of 500 shoes to public schools in the region as an ongoing commitment to develop the Filipino sports community.

Students of Agay National High School, Amparo Central Elementary School, Agyabao Elementary School, Mahayahay Elementary School and Datin-ay National High School were among the campaign’s local beneficiaries. Since ‘Help Give Shoes’ conception, MILO has given over 22, 200 shoes to underprivileged children nationwide.

With the regional titleholders preparing for the upcoming National Finals, MILO and race organizer Runrio Inc. expect a full-on action-packed culmination to this year's premier footrace.

 "Our athletes have given a well-rounded performance this season, and they deserve a perfectly structured race to challenge them in December. Our team is working around the clock to make sure that marathon runners and spectators alike will be treated to a quality competition," said Robbie De Vera, MILO Sports Executive.

After the Butuan leg, the qualifying race will shift to Cagayan de Oro City on November 25 to wrap the regional qualifying legs of the season. The 36th MILO Marathon National Finals will be on December 9 at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds in Pasay City.

About the National MILO Marathon

The National MILO Marathon is an annual marathon event open to amateur and professional runners. From its humble beginnings in 1974 as a single marathon race in Metro Manila attended by 747 participants, the National MILO Marathon has grown to be the biggest, longest, grandest national running event in the country attracting more than hundreds of thousands of runners across the country. The race is organized by RunRio, Inc.