38th National MILO Marathon race picks up pace

More than 40,000 runners expected to break record attendance

The country’s biggest and most prestigious footrace will once again welcome children, students, aspiring runners and professional athletes to its running routes as the 38th National MILO Marathon takes its act to Manila for its fifth qualifying leg on July 27 at the SM Mall of Asia grounds, Pasay City. With more than 40,000 participants expected to run on Sunday, another historic record of the most number of runners in a single race is anticipated to be achieved.

The winners of the 42K division race will be awarded a cash prize of Php 50,000 and a trophy, while the victors of the 21K division will receive a cash prize of Php 10,000 and a trophy. Runners who finish within the specified age-bracket and cut-off time per division will also receive a coveted slot in the National Finals on December 7.

Elite runners including former National MILO Marathon Queens Jho-an Banayag, Mary Grace Delos Santos and Aileen Tolentino, and Philippine National Games champion Rafael Poliquit, are raring to go head-to-head in the esteemed international race event for a chance to be crowned the National MILO Marathon King and Queen. In line with MILO’s steadfast commitment in enhancing the holistic development of Filipino athletes, the 38th NMM MILO King and Queen will be sent by MILO to Japan to showcase the Filipinos’ resilience, strength and excellence as they compete in the Tokyo Marathon in 2015. The Tokyo Marathon is one of the six grand prix races in the world, joining Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York, and London in the illustrious list of major international marathons.

Young racers will also join in the fun in the 3K and 5K divisions. Celebrity running enthusiasts are also expected to participate in the running events, including MILO R2 APEX Running School founder and The Biggest Loser Philippines coach Jim Saret, his wife and fellow coach Toni Saret, and 2014 The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition: Doubles contestants Ralph David Du, Yves Christian Du, Patricia Castillo, Bryan Castillo, Francis Asis, Mark Andrew Mavrides, Jepoy Arcilla, Tristan Nueva, Carl Lazaro, Cayen Lazaro, Patricia Martinez and Ma. Victoria Joy Nebreja.

To further the support for young Filipino talents, MILO will provide 16,000 underprivileged youth with brand new running shoes this year to reach the 50,000 mark through the Help Give Shoes advocacy. Help Give Shoes aims make the donation to students in Yolanda-hit cities, particularly Tacloban, Ormoc, and Eastern Samar.

“We are very pleased that the selected recipients of the Help Give Shoes advocacy for this year are our aspiring runners from the Yolanda-hit areas. With the contributions of the National MILO Marathon runners, we will be able to give these children a ray of hope and pave the way for them to continue cultivating their passion for sports,” said Andrew Neri, MILO Sports Marketing Manager. “We aim to help these kids slowly heal from the devastation that the typhoon brought in, raise their spirits, and inspire them to carry on striving for their dreams.”

The gun start for participants of the 42K run is at 3:00AM, the 21K run at 4:30AM, 10K run at 5:00AM, 5K run at 5:35AM and the 3K run at 5:30AM. The starting line will be adjacent to the finish line at the Seaside Boulevard of SM MOA.

The 38th National MILO Marathon is made possible by Timex, the Bayview Park Hotel Manila, ASICS, Lenovo, Manila Bulletin and Gatorade, along with endorsements from the Department of Education, Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. For more information on MILO Philippines, log on to the official website (http://www.milo.com.ph) or the MILO Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/milo.ph). Follow MILO on Twitter (@MiloPH) and Instagram (@MiloPhilippines).