MILO Marathon Queen Mary Joy Tabal obtains Olympics slot in Ottawa Marathon

Mary Joy Tabal once again proved that hard work and determination can propel oneself to success. Finally making her dream come true, Tabal secured her slot for the Rio Olympics when she finished the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon on Sunday, May 29 (May 30, Philippine time). After falling short in her stint at the Boston Marathon last April, the reigning MILO Marathon Queen was able to make an impressive comeback in Ottawa’s prestigious footrace.

Known as the Great White North’s largest and fastest marathon, the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon is one of two International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label races in Canada, attracting a world contingent of about 7,000 runners every year because of its flat and fast race course. 

Tabal clocked in with the time of 2:43:29, beating the 2:45:00 Olympic qualifying time for the women’s marathon. The 26-year-old Cebuana gained a substantial lead against other competitors, and was able to rank 5th in the female age group, 8th in the overall elite female category and 38th in the overall elite male and female category, out of a total of 4,416 elite participants.

2016 World Mountain Bike Championship Philippine Qualifying Race Happens At Nuvali’s “Dirt Weekend”

Bike enthusiasts will definitely love the upcoming Dirt Weekend at Nuvali because it will serve as a new way to be qualified for the Olympics. With the cooridination of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Mountain Bike (MTB) World Championship at the annual “Dirt Weekend” on November 6, 7 and 8 at Nuvali in Laguna will serve as the Philippine Qualifying Race.

UCI is the international governing body on sports cycling and competitive cycling events. Started in 2009, Dirt Weekend is now recognized as one of the country’s premium racing events among professional MTB riders and enthusiasts alike.

“We are honored that Nuvali is hosting this prestigious international cycling event. Biking is part of the environmentally-responsible culture that we are cultivating in Nuvali. We continuously develop programs that are attuned to the local biking community - programs that promote a healthier lifestyle by encouraging biking as a mode of transportation and recreation. Also, we would like to serve as a platform for globally competitive athletes from the Philippines to get a chance to compete in the global stage,” said John Estacio, Nuvali General Manager.