Sandino, 37, a native of Lanao, Bukidnon, benefited from the disqualification of erstwhile pacers national athlete Daud Mama and Malaybalay runner Junnel Laguido who took a wrong turn in the last two kilometers of the 20K qualifying run.
"Alam ko third ako dahil nasa unahan ko yung dalawa, di ko alam na naligaw sila," said Sandino, third placer last year in the same race and placed fourth in the national Milo Marathon finals.
Sandino, who clocked 1:07:45 for the distance, went home P10,000 richer and with another chance to run in the 26th Milo Marathon finals, co-sponsored this year by Bayview Park Hotel, Adidas Phils., Cebu Pacific, Ford Phils, and the Department of Tourism.
Second place went to DOLE plantation worker Ronilo Indapan, 36, who negotiated the 20K distance in 1:10:08 and earned P6,000 for his effort.
Third placer and Mindanao’s last representative in the men’s division was Camiguin native Rafael Tejada, 30, who will be joining his first Milo Marathon finals. He clocked 1:11:03, good for P4,000.
In the women’s division of the race that started in the city, the 34-year-old Relox posted her fourth Milo Marathon regional champion in easy fashion, leading from start to finish en route to a solo victory in 1:26:14, also worth P10,000.