Sacrifice pays off for marathon queen

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MANILA, Philippines — Christine Hallasgo did not travel all the way to Manila for nothing, especially when she had to leave a three-year-old daughter behind, some 900 miles away, at their home in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

So, in the wee hours of Sunday, the 26-year-old mother braved yet another journey – this time a grueling 42 km race, under cover of darkness. It’s the very reason why she had to leave her daughter behind.

After three hours, six minutes and 28 seconds, the hardwork, the fatigue, the pain and the ultimate sacrifice paid off for the teary-eyed and drained Hallasgo, who was hailed queen of the Milo Marathon Manila qualifying leg for the second straight year at the Mall of Asia concert grounds in Pasay City.

Aside from the Manila qualifying leg trophy, Hallasgo also took home the P50,000 grand prize and the all-important return ticket to the Milo Marathon National Finals set early next year in Tarlac City.

“All my sacrifices paid off,” Hallasgo, also a national team member, told The Star. “My time here training and competing was really hard. It was a struggle knowing that I left my daughter in Bukidnon. I’m just glad that the sacrifice, the journey are all worth it.”

Since July 4, the Bukidnon State University standout has been away from her family following her inclusion to the PATAFA national team training pool for the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian Games here in the country set Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

Hallasgo and the rest of national tracksters are currently based in Lingayen, Pangasinan for intense training. They will likely remain there until after the SEAG, stretching Hallasgo’s longing for her daughter that to her already seemed “forever.”

“I’ve been away from her for nearly a month now. It’s hard because it’s my first time leaving her. It’s my first time being away for this long,” added Hallasgo, who finished third in the prestigious Milo Marathon National Finals last year.

With the biennial sports joust still four months away, Hallasgo is planning to make a quick Bukidnon visit on Sept. 30, which marks her daughter’s fourth birthday, before plunging back to training for an even tougher mission.

“I will go home in September just for her birthday then will get back here to intensify training,” she added. “My family has been supportive for my marathon aspirations. It’s time for me to give back and that is through a SEAG win. I’m aiming for a medal and I will give everything to get that.”

Training under the tutelage of legendary marathoner Eduardo ‘Vertek’ Buenavista,  Hallasgo is likely to be pitted in 10K endurance race. But she might be considered for the full marathon, following her impressive triumph in the Milo Marathon Manila leg, which was just the first of the 10 legs on tap this year leading up to the National Finals in 2020.

Hallasgo has taken the long journey from Bukidnon. And she’s made it this far. 

But her race has just begun.