Tarcelo cruises to Milo run win

SAN FERNANDO, La Union, Philippines – Marson Tarcelo sprinted away from the rest of the field right from the starting block to win the San Fernando leg of the 33rd National Milo Marathon elimination race Sunday on a race that started and ended in front of the provincial capitol.

Running trouble-free, Tarcelo clocked 1:15.44 to pocket the top prize of P10,000 and earn a trip to the Milo national finals for the second time since 2006.

“I broke loose from the start and was on the lead throughout,” said Tarcelo, who trained only for one month in his province in Benguet.

Tarcelo said he could have bettered his personal best of 1:13 in 2006 had he encountered a strong opposition

“I did not get the push. My time could have been better,” said Tarcelo, a father of three.

Joel Bengtay chased Tarcelo at the halfway mark in adjacent Bauang town. But the 28-year-old Baguio native couldn’t match the speed of Tarcelo and gave up the chase, enabling the 34-year-old Benguet native to win the race easily.

Bengtay arrived three minutes behind the winner in 1:18.1, missing the 1:15 qualifying standard.

“I tried to keep abreast but I could not close the gap. This was his race,” said Bengtay.

Rommel Flora checked in third in 1:20.04.

Veteran Flor Carreon surpassed the qualifying 1:35 in the women’s division, clocking 1:34 worth P10,000.

Frejielyn Roncales, a UAAP 10,000 m specialist from University of Santo Tomas, clocked 1:55.07.

Andy Mendoza won the 10k in 30.45 and Jessa Mangsat topped the distaff side in 41.40, beating runner up Mercy Lagitao (50.46).

Of 4,000 runners, 100 competed in the main 21k event supervised by race director Rudy Biscocho in coordination with the city government headed by Mayor Pablo Ortega.

Hostilities resume this Sunday in Baguio and Tagbilaran.

The series is held in cocoperation with the Department of Tourism and Bay View Park Hotel Manila.