Tillor, Sorongon rule 21K race in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines –  Noel Tillor and Ruffa Sorongon shared the spotlight in the Cebu leg of the 39th National Milo Marathon held Sunday by ruling the 21K centerpiece events under tough competition.

Tillor led the pack with a time of 01:14:46, relegating Narceso Deterala (01:16:36) to second, and Adonis Singson (01:17:29) to third while Sorongon bested her rivals with a time of 01:29:05 in the women’s side.

 Miscelle Gilbuena (01:32:04) and Lizane Abella (01:42:58) completed the division’s top three finishers.

Over 24,000 runners took to the roads in the Queen City of the South as Cebu organizers, led by Ricky Ballesteros, delivered their promise of a top-class running event.

The 30-year-old Tillor, a local mechanic, took advantage of the good weather condition and his knowledge of the race route to dominate the field.

“It was good that it didn’t rain, so there was no friction on the roads. Honestly, it was difficult to prepare for this race because I couldn’t take time off work. I only trained in the afternoons,” he shared. “I was not expecting to win. My goal was to qualify for the finals. Now, I will definitely prepare for it so I can reach my target time.”

Sorongon, a full-time runner from Davao, clinched her third 21K title in the National Milo Marathon. In 2013, she placed first in the General Santos leg, and in 2014, she won in Bohol. This year, she decided to join the Cebu race so she could meet her idol, Mary Joy Tabal.

“Mary Joy is one of my idols, as well as the Jaro sisters. They are my inspiration for running,” she said. “For the finals, my aim is to reach the top 10. I will step up my training to achieve that goal.”

Comendador and Ramirez each took home P10,000 and a trophy; and earned their slots in the National Milo Marathon finals to be held in Angeles on Dec. 6.