Press Release: Jaro sisters, Nerza win Davao MILO qualifying races

Cynthia (left) and Anthony show their
trophies after winning the Davao
qualifying race.

Davao City, Philippines (October 13, 2013) – Sisters Cynthia and Criselyn Jaro proved that speed runs in their blood when they posted a spectacular one-two finish at the 21K women’s division run Sunday at the 37th National MILO Marathon in Davao City.

Last year’s champion Anthony Nerza also proved his mettle during the race and successfully defended his crown to clinch a repeat victory.

Nerza and the Jaro sisters earned themselves an all-expenses paid trip to the finale in December, where 500 of the country’s best runners will compete for up to Php 300,000 in cash and for a chance to run the 2014 Paris Marathon courtesy of MILO.

A total of 13,412 runners joined the twelfth qualifying leg of the prestigious nationwide race, with 29 other runners booking a slot in the finals.

Nerza hastened his pace at the 58th minute mark and crossed the finish line at a record-setting one hour, 11 minutes and eight seconds, relegating Elmer Bartolo (1:14:43) and Machale Jan Echalico (1:15:44) to second and third places. With the victory, Nerza secured his third ticket to the MILO Marathon finals.

The 24-year old Brokenshire mainstay expressed elation at beating his best time despite having only a week’s worth of preparation.

“The limited time I had to train for this race posed a big challenge for me before today, but surprisingly, it became one of my strengths. I followed a tough training program that includes 3 to 4 hours of jogging and 20 repetitions of a 400 m workout for speed and endurance. I pushed myself hard enough and managed to pull through at my fastest time to date,” he said.

In the distaff side, Jaro’s fast reflexes gave her an advantage when she propelled herself to claim the lead at the sound of the starting gun. She posted a finishing time of 1:30:43, ahead of younger sister Criselyn, who finished at 1:32:49, and Davao bet Emely Avergonzado (1:34:49).

The older Jaro shared that three of their other sisters competed in the race, namely Dymie Rose, who placed 4th in the 5K division, and Cecel, who placed 3rd in the 10K division, and Cellie Rose who joined the 21K division. “The race was exceptionally motivating as I was able to run with my sisters on the same track. I am proud of all of them and of what they have accomplished today, and I look forward to seeing Criselyn in December,” she said.

The 23-year old Jaro also remarked that she needs to draw up a new record at the finale and will need further training to stay conditioned. “While victory is very fulfilling, there is still so much work to be done. I intend to add a 1-kilometer workout to my training to increase speed and gain more distance from my opponents,” she added.

A Brokenshire College Physical Education undergraduate like Nerza, Jaro takes pride in sharing her gift in the sport of running with a group of children.

Rosenelyn Depillo, a student of Jaro, topped the 5K division ranks at an impressive 16 minutes and 28 seconds. “I started teaching the basics to children from my town in 2011. I see great potential in them, and hope to see their talents recognized in the future. Running is a very challenging sport, and I am very proud to be a part of their achievements at a young age,” she said.

As an ongoing commitment to inspire more Filipinos especially the youth to overcome all of life’s obstacles and engage in a wholesome sport like running, MILO provides pairs of running shoes to underprivileged students nationwide through MILO’s Help Give Shoes advocacy.

With the invaluable support of MILO Marathon runners and partners, a total of 500 pairs were delivered to beneficiary schools today in Davao, bringing the total shoe count to 30,700. Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Elementary School, Davao City High School, SPED Bangkal, Sta. Ana National High School and Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School were among the advocacy’s beneficiaries.

“MILO endeavors to inspire more athletes through education, and what better way to learn than from our own set of champions. We are immensely proud to be one of the running platforms that Cynthia is a part of as she imparts knowledge and skills about the discipline. The National MILO Marathon has already become a learning base for athleticism, and we value the efforts of our runners to share the principles of sportsmanship and develop the local running community,” said Andrew Neri, MILO Sports Executive.

The qualifying race will commence in General Santos on October 20, before advancing to Baguio (November 3), Dagupan (November 10), Tarlac (November 17) and Angeles (November 24). The 37th MILO Marathon National Finals will be on December 8 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds.

The 37th National MILO Marathon is made possible by Timex, the Bayview Park Hotel Manila, Reebok, SMART, and SM Mall of Asia, along with endorsements from the Department of Education, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. For more information on the race and its advocacy, visit the MILO marathon website or access the MILO Philippines fanpage on Facebook. Follow MILO on Twitter (@MILOPH).