Baguio poses new challenge in Milo elims

Coming on the heels of a successful staging of the biggest Milo Marathon ever in Metro Manila, the 27th regional elimination race this Sunday will be held in Baguio and even if it fails to attract the same record turnout as in the previous legs, the race will feature something different.

It will be the highlanders versus the lowlanders with the local runners who train in the thin air of Baguio City definitely having an advantage over those who will be coming from the lowlands like the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, and La Union.

Last year, Ed Buenavista, the reigning national Milo Marathon champion, was surprised by a last-minute sprinting finish by former champion Roy Vence in the 20K elimination race and finished second to Vence.

However, Buenavista returned the favor in the national finals when he ran his very first full marathon en route to winning the title, catching Vence by surprise in return.

Vence opted to run in the Metro Manila race last Sunday and in the absence of worthy opposition emerged an easy winner and qualified to the national MILO Marathon finals on October 19, which will use the same 42K route. Buenavista, together with women’s champion Christabel Martes are already seeded in the finals.

The race, which will also feature a 3K kiddie run and a 5K fun run, will start and finish at the Burnham Park, will send the top 3 male and female finishers in the 20K qualifying race to the finals of this annual developmental and competitive running program held in partnership this year with Bayview Park Hotel, Cebu Pacific, Adidas, PowerBar, and the Department of Tourism.

More than 2,500 runners are expected to answer the starting gun to be fired at exactly 6 a.m. the majority of whom are entered in the 5K run, Baguio City being considered the region’s educational center with its numerous schools and colleges

In the competitive 20K race, the members of the national training and developmental pool runners are expected to come all out this Sunday and keep the regional championship safely in Baguio’s hands.