MANILA, Philippines — Reigning champion Mary Joy Tabal and newly-crowned SEA Games champion Christine Hallasgo headline the nearly 800 elite runners vying in today’s Milo Marathon National Finals at the Tarlac Plazuela.
An explosive rematch between the two fancied marathoners looms after the 3 a.m. kickoff with Tabal eyeing a fitting vengeance on Hallasgo after her shocking loss in the 30th SEA Games last December.
Tabal, a heavy favorite to retain the SEAG crown, couldn’t handle the heat, allowing Hallasgo to be crowned as the newest marathon queen in the region.
Riding high on that historic win, Hallasgo determined to show that her latest win was no fluke, and at the same time snap Tabal’s six-year reign as Milo National Finals champion.
Also in contention for the 42K women’s category is former SEAG gold medalist Cristabel Martes, who finished runner up to Tabal in last year’s finals held in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.
In the men’s division of the country’s biggest and longest-running footrace, ex-champ Jeson Agravante, last year runner-up Jerald Zabala and Manila leg winner Anthony Nerza are in for a three-way duel.
Sporting a theme of “One Team. One Nation. Go Philippines!”this year’s race will have more than 16,000 participants in the 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K categories, making their way into the National Finals after 10 qualifying legs in 2019.
In partnership with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), the Milo Marathon National Finals will serve as qualifiers for the 2020 calendar of international marathon events.
The kings and queens of Milo Marathon will receive the grand prize of P150,000 plus bonuses should they break the standing records of Eduardo Buenavista (2:18.53) and Tabal (2:48:00) in the men’s and women’s division, respectively.
Meanwhile, this year’s National Finals will also mark the celebration of Kaisa Festival, a week-long commemoration of the history and culture of first-time finals host Tarlac City.