It’s exactly one month until the National Milo Marathon kicks off on July 28 with the Metro Manila eliminations race, and I’ve got the latest updates about the longest-running and biggest marathon series in the country.
First things first: the kick-off race was supposed to be on July 14 in Urdaneta City, but that’s been postponed in coordination with the local government. Milo is working to schedule a new date and/or venue so there can still be 11 races in the series. A total of over 150,000 runners are projected to join this season’s races.
Second bit of news: PATAFA has awarded Milo Marathon runner-up Jeral Zabala with the outright qualifying slot into the SEA Games. (This slot was meant to go to Milo Marathon king Rafael Poliquit before he passed away.) He joins Milo Marathon queen Mary Joy Tabal as the country’s top representatives in the SEA Games marathon.
Third: winners of the Milo Jakarta International 10K Run will be invited to join the Milo Marathon final in Tarlac City and can join distances up to 21K. The 42K category during the finals will still be only for qualifiers. The Milo Jakarta 10K is growing to be one of the largest and reknowned races in Indonesia and it’s nice to see the seeds of a potential interlinking of Milo races in the region.
Fourth: the Milo Marathon final in Tarlac City will feature a 10-kilometer uphill section. (dun dun DUNNNNNNN!) The final is also happening during Tarlac City’s KAISA Festival, their annual week-long fiesta, so expect a festive and cultural experience for all participating runners!
Fifth: adults can now register for the 3K and 5K fun run categories, priced at P110 for students and P160 for adults. This is to allow parents to run with their children. Previously, only children could register for 3K. However, adults will not be eligible to win the age-group prizes in the 3K.
Sixth: Milo continues its Help Give Shoes advocacy and is set to give out 1,500 pairs of shoes and 2,500 basketballs this year to add to their running total of 85,000 pairs of shoes and 2,500 basketballs given to underserved students from public schools nationwide.
For more information about the 2019 National Milo Marathon, visit the official website, the Milo Philippines Facebook Page, or follow Milo on Twitter (@MiloPH) and Instagram (@MiloPhilippines).
