Nation building through sports marks 41st year with 16 races across the Philippines
The National Milo Marathon, the country’s most accessible national race, yesterday announced the official opening of its 41st season. The first of the 16 races is set to kick off in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan on July 16. With new features and race locations added for the fresh cycle ahead, Milo expects to see around 200,000 participants from across the country compete in 3K, 5K, 10K, 21K, and 42K categories.
The National Milo Marathon has long been energizing and inspiring champions for over 40 years and, as such, has been attracting runners of all kinds from all over the country and the world. Centered on the theme “Magsama-sama, Tumakbo, Matuto”, this season is driven by values such as discipline, resilience, and determination, which runners can take with them in their journey in life.
“In the National Milo Marathon, we see people from all walks of life who come to run, to learn, and to live. This year, we shine the spotlight on the runners who are learning along the way and taking these lessons beyond the finish line to shape their lives,” says Robbie De Vera, Milo Philippines sports executive.
New Roads, New Features
Three new areas, Urdaneta, Laoag and Roxas cities, are added in this year’s 16-leg tourney. Following the success of the Iloilo finale last year, the marathon will be staging its final race in Cebu City on December 3, the second time for Visayas to host the much-anticipated culminating event, and the third time to be held outside of Metro Manila.
To encourage runners to celebrate their victories, Milo will debut a new age group category in the national finals. The age group category is an added feature in the 21K and 42K races that lets participants track and compare their performance with other runners in similar age groups. The new feature intends to motivate runners in reaching their personal goals and attract more contenders to the higher categories.
The series will start in Urdaneta on July 16, which expects around 10,000 runners. Following the pilot race, it will continue in Laoag (July 23), Metro Manila (July 30), Angeles (August 6), Tarlac (August 13), Naga (August 27), Lucena (September 03), Lipa (September 10), Tagbilaran (September 24), Roxas (October 1), Iloilo (October 8), General Santos (October 15), Davao (October 22), Butuan (November 12), and Cagayan De Oro (November 19). The national finals in Cebu City will be on December 3.
For more information, log on to the official website.