Ermelita Castillo, 19, a senior criminology student from the Baguio Colleges Foundation, ran her very first 20K race, collapsed a few meters from the finish line at the Burnham Park but crawled the remaining distance to the finish in full view of the crowd.
Castillo finished third and qualified to the national finals in Manila on Oct. 19 although she admitted later that she may not run there.
Last year’s defending champion in the distaff side, Marychiel Minas, 20, a track runner at the Benguet State University, turned the run into a one woman race as she took the lead from the start and was never pressured en route to a solo finish and a back to back victory in the regional race, the last for the island of Luzon.
"Hindi ako sure na mananalo dahil akala ko kasali si Julie Watchorna, mas malakas sa akin iyon, " said Minas, second placer in the Manila Marathon earlier this year and finished seventh in the Milo finals last year. She clocked 1:37.29 and received P10,000. Watchorna wound up in fifth place in the race.
Mildred Sabiano, 23, from the Cordillera Career Development College, finished second to Minas, clocking 1:54.26, good for P6,000 and a seat in the national finals of the Milo Marathon, held in partnership this year with Bayview Park Hotel, Cebu Pacific, Adidas, Powerbar, MyGlobe, and the Department of Tourism.
In the men’s side, Canillo and Mama engaged in a duel for practically the entire course with Canillo’s advantage in training in this mountaintop city making the difference in the end as he pulled away in the last kilometer to win in 1:17.49 while Mama took second place in 1:17.5.
" Ito ang best chance ko manalo sa finals dahil wala yung malalakas na runners, pupunta kasi sila sa SEA Games , " said Canillo who had to buck cough and colds, Canillo finished third in the national finals in 1999 and 2000 and will go all out for his first victory in this annual road race.
On the part of Mama , who is also a Navyman like Canillo, likewise is determined to make good in the national finals and use it as a way to get back to the national training team, " kaya nga lamang si Canillo dahil ditto ang training nila, ako nag acclimatize pa ," said Mama who went home with P6,000 to Canillo’s P10,000.
First timer Fernandez Sumacbay from the Mountain province ran his first MILO regional race and qualified to the finals as he finished third in 1:21.11, " first time ko tatakbo sa full marathon, medyo kapos ako sa huli, " said Sumacbay.
MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando, who was in town for a short vacation, took time out and fired the starting gun that sent off the more than 2,700 runners in the event, including the 3K and 5K fun runners. He was joined by Baguio City Mayor Bernardo Vergara at the stage.
Rene Herrera and Alice Aparri ruled the 5K run clocking 17:14 and 22>28 respectively and received P2500 each.
"We are now in the homestretch with only two legs left before the national finals, next Sunday will be in GenSan and the last one will be held in Cebu City, " said MILO Sports Executive Pat Goc-Ong.