MANILA, Philippines - The victory came a week late but for Rafael Poliquit and Mary Joy Tabal nothing is better and sweeter than ruling the 38th Milo Marathon.
The country’s most prestigious footrace was supposed to take place last Sunday. However, because of the threat of Typhoon Ruby, organizers had to call it off.
The race took place yesterday. Not one among the registered 19,242 participants cared if the 42 km race started and ended at the Mall of Asia grounds under a drizzle.
There’s no stopping this year’s National Milo Marathon Finals.
In the end, Poliquit and Tabal, both 25 years old, were crowned marathon king and queen. In front of fellow competitors, they received their trophies.
Tabal, who won the same crown last year, had a hard time raising her trophy before photographers. For the petite runner from Cebu City, it was a little too heavy.
She was the fastest Filipina in two hours 51 minutes 55 seconds, good for second place in the Open division, behind Kenya’s Rose Nyangacha’s 2:47:33.
Immaculate Chemutai of Uganda was third in 2:52:49.
For her runner-up finish in the Open category, Tabal bagged P250,000. The winner will go home to Kenya with P300,000 and the third placer P200,000.
In the local side, veteran Christabel Martes won in 3:03:49, beating Mary Grace delos Santos (3:05:34) and Jhoan Banayag (3:07:59), and won P150,000, P100,000 and P75,000, respectively.
Tabal was all smiles up the stage as the winners were called. It was another good day at the office and she’ll celebrate Christmas with a quarter of a million pesos.
Tabal looked happy walking around but later on admitted she wasn’t too satisfied with her time. She wanted to break her 2013 clocking of 2:48:00.
“I was expecting to break that. I’m not too satisfied,” she said, adding that the one-week delay and some minor changes in the race route may have affected her.
“Maybe I was at my peak last week. I don’t know. Maybe I over-tapered,” said Tabal, who competed in the 2014 Paris Marathon as part of her prize for winning last year.
“I was 17th among the female runners there,” she proudly said.
Tabal was right along the Kenyan winner until the 30 km mark inside Bonifacio Global City. But she lagged behind and eventually finished a little over four minutes behind.
“Of course, happy pa din,” said Tabal, still hoping that the victory could earn her a slot in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.
Unlike Tabal, it was the first Milo Marathon crown for Poliquit, a member of the Philippine Air Force.
“I didn’t expect to win here,” said Poliquit in Filipino.
“When the race was called off last week, I wanted to withdraw. I was hesitant. I felt my condition had been thrown off,” said the pride of Tagum City in Davao del Norte.
But he went on to win the title in 2:32:29 at the expense of multiple Milo Marathon winner Eduardo Buenavista who clocked 2:33:56.
Erinio Raquin was third in 2:35:50. The top three Filipinos received checks worth P150,000, P100,000 and P75,000.
The men’s Open was an all-Kenyan affair with James Tallam (2:21:08), Josphat Kiptanui (2:21:31) and Joel Kiplimo Kemboi (2:21:31). They will fly home happy and rich.
Poliquit had never beaten Buenavista in a 42 km race and it’s always been a goal.
“I stayed right behind him in the first 32 kilometers. I know he’s strong and he’s a veteran. I was conserving my energy for the last 10 kilometers,” he said.
Poliquit noticed that Buenavista was having problems with his feet and yet he really didn’t expect to win. He said his game plan was to do split times of one hour 16 minutes for every 21 kilometers.
“I wasn’t even thinking of that place I’d be. But I won. Merry ang Christmas,” he said.
At the finish, Poliquit said Buenavista, former SEA Games champion and fellow member of the Air Force, congratulated him.
“Saludo pa din ako sa kanya (I salute him. He’s still my idol),” said the new champion, also hoping to make it back to the national team and to the 2015 SEA Games.
The prize money goes straight to the bank, according to Poliquit, who plans to visit his province during the holidays. He plans to give his mother, a market vendor, a gift.
Poliquit was asked what he wants for Christmas.
“Wala naman (Nothing). Wala naman talaga kailangan (Nothing that I really need),” he said.
Except the thought of being the country’s new marathon king.