runners' wall: Carolino, Gilbuena triumph in Angeles City leg of 38th MILO Marathon

More than 10,000 runners answered the gun start in the
Angeles City leg of the 38th MILO Marathon.

ANGELES City, Philippines, 19 July 2014 – Jobert Carolino and Mischelle Gilbuena took advantage of the good weather and set a swift pace in the 21K division run at the 38th National MILO Marathon on Sunday in Angeles City, Pampanga. Each received a cash prize of P10,000 and a trophy.

Out of the 10,312 runners who joined this leg, Carolino, Gilbuena and 50 others booked their place for the National Finals on December 7 for a chance to be crowned as the MILO Marathon King and Queen and fly to Japan on an all-expenses paid trip to the 2015 Tokyo Marathon courtesy of MILO.

Jobert Carolino (left) and Mischelle Gilbuena
triumph in the 21K race in the 4th leg of the
38th National MILO Marathon.

It was a tight race as Jobert Carolino went head-to-head with Crescenciano Sabal and Sherwin Patron. Carolino was behind former champion Sabal for most of the race.

As they neared the finish line, Carolino picked up pace and raced to the end, finishing with a time of 01:15:20, relegating Sabal to second place (01:15:35) and Patron to third (01:22:34).

“Sabal was my toughest rival, I was behind him in the last few kilometers. In the last 500 meters, I gave it my all to beat him. He’s a very smart runner,” expressed Carolino, a bronze medalist at the Philippine Olympic Festival.

“To be honest, I was not really prepared for this race, I only started training last week when I joined two other races. With my slot in the finals secured, I will focus more on my training, especially enhancing my endurance.”

On the women's side, Philippine Air Force member Mischelle Gilbuena clinched the win with a time of 01:33:58. The 26-year-old veteran from Cebu, who usually joins the Tarlac leg of the MILO Marathon, struggled throughout the race because of the unfamiliar route. Still, she persevered under pressure and bested challengers Chloe Jane Ong (01:52:00) and Denise Hernandez (01:54:15).

“I was supposed to join the Tarlac leg last week but I felt that my training was inadequate. I had slight difficulties in running the route,” admitted Gilbuena. “I need to continue my training and work again on my endurance to be in top shape for the National Finals.”

Both Carolino and Gilbuena have been consistently qualifying for the National Finals since 2010 and 2008, respectively.

Coach Rio Dela Cruz, and celebrity runner Isabel
Granada (far right) pose with youth racers of Pampanga.

Local stars also shared the spotlight with the top runners. Celebrity environmentalist and weatherman Kuya Kim Atienza, a passionate triathlete and marathon runner, qualified for the National Finals with a time of 01:52:52. Other celebrities who participated in the race include Isabel Granada, Yayo Aguila, Jaycee Parker, Katya Santos and Maui Taylor.

With the support of the Department of Education and the National MILO Marathon runners, MILO’s Help Gives Shoes advocacy will provide 16,000 underprivileged youth with brand new running shoes and reach the 50,000 mark this year. As MILO celebrates its 50th year, Help Give Shoes aims to make the donation to students in Yolanda-hit cities, particularly Tacloban, Ormoc, and Eastern Samar.

The qualifying race will pick up pace in Manila on July 27 before bringing its act to Naga (August 24), Lucena (August 31), Puerto Princesa (September 7), Lipa (September 14), Iloilo (September 21), Bacolod (September 28), Tagbilaran (October 5), Cebu (October 12), Butuan (October 19), Cagayan De Oro (November 9), General Santos (November 16), and Davao (November 23). The National Finals will be held on December 7 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City. (MILO Press Release)