Pascua rules Milo Laoag 21K run

MANILA, Philippines - Reynaldo Pascua overtook Rabin Dalog in the halfway mark to win the Laoag leg of the 33rd National Milo Marathon elimination that ended inside the President Ferdinand Marcos Sports Stadium here.

Bucking leg cramps that struck him at the turning point near the ancestral home of Marcos in adjacent Sarrat town, Pascua chased and overtook the faltering Dalog, then sustained the blistering pace to the finish line, clocking 1:15.54 and a trip ticket to the finals in October in Manila.

“ I could have submitted a better time if I did not suffer leg cramps,” said Pascua, whose best time is 1:08 he recorded in winning the event in 2004.

A father of two boys and a caretaker of the stadium, Pascua, whose running skill was refined by former Gintong Alay chief now Ilocos Norte Governor Michael Keon, pocketed the top prize P10,000.

“Okay na rin because I made it to the finals,” said the 39-year-old native of Laoag who will compete in the grand finals for the fifth time.

“I will maximize the remaining two months to toughen my strength and stamina,” added Pascua.

 Randy Basilio passed Dalog in the last 500 meters to place second in 1:18.43. Dalog was third in 1:20.13.

Basilio and Dalog, however, failed to join Pascua to the finals as their efforts were way below the 1:15 qualifying standard.

Dalog overtook Pascua at the turning point but the 26-year-old native of Adams near the Ilocos Norte-Cagayan boundary faltered down the stretch, enabling Pascua to re-claim his supremacy of the race and earn the right to represent his province in the finals in October.

Vice Governor Windell Chua, representing Governor Keon who is in Manila to attend President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address today, fired the 5:30 a.m. starting gun in the 21k in the presence of AVP Milo Events Pat Goc-Ong, race organizer director Rudy Bischoco and other local officials.

Vilma Butac won the distaff side in 1:58, but her time did not meet the 1:30 qualifying mark. She consoled herself with the first prize P10,000.

James Calo won the 10k in 53.43 and Erlinda Caspe topped the girls’ side in 1:03.03.