THE longest running marathon in the Philippines IS the MILO MARATHON. Having stood the test of time is no small feat, for every year, the challenges become almost insurmountable, as if to say that life is, indeed, a battle for survival among the fittest…and the elimination of the unfit.
I have personally battled my own demons, having crossed the 42.195 Finish Line for the past 10 years and still yearning for more. For how does one explain a promise made to oneself and his community, to partake of each other’s blood, sweat and tears, just to earn the coveted medal and be a Milo marathoner. Those were truly among the best years, as I documented the race as a life event, with the fervent hope of inspiring others to make a journey into this unknown, a GIANT STEP towards a united people.
2019 began unfolding as a maverick year for the Milo Marathon organizers, with the mandate to encourage Filipinos to rally behind our best athletes as the country hosts the 2019 South East Asian Games. An integral strategy of the Philippine contingent is 6-time consecutive National Milo Marathon Queen, Mary Joy Tabal, who embodies the Milo Marathon’s undaunted spirit, discipline, confidence and teamwork, as its ambassador of greatness.
Hail the Queen of Milo Marathon! Mary Joy Tabal is the first female Filipino marathon runner to qualify for the Olympics, which she has done by running a time of 2:43:29 in the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon in 2016. She placed 124th at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“One Team. One Nation. Go Philippines!”
You can compete in any of the ELIMS schedules and locations above, especially in first-timer Milo “provinces” Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Davao City. Special mention and mental note for the Milo Qualifiers to earmark JANUARY 19, 2020 in Tarlac as the venue for the National Finals. This year’s theme projects a grit-test as ONE TEAM, always green, go and goal-oriented. Will you remain loyal and steadfast to the full marathon, or smash your half marathon PR, or even level up from 3KM, 5KM, 10KM distances? Time to choose, Milo babies. The GREEN RACE is UPON US. Choose your green but expect a splash of yellows and reds and blues. The MILO RACE KIT is always eye-candy for Milo babies. Each Category is well -represented with the time, money and effort you put into the race! Note that a special drawstring bag with goodies adds special motivation to the long-distance runners of 21K and 42K…but everyone gets to bring home a MILO NUTRI-UP packet!Crossing the Finish Line can be a very emotional moment, equally rewarding! All half-marathon and marathon finishers get the exclusive Milo dryfit shirt and completion certificates. Crossing the Finish Line can be a very emotional moment, equally rewarding! All half-marathon and marathon finishers get the exclusive Milo dryfit shirt and completion certificates. Competing in a Milo Marathon always mean professional-grade race management, hence it has been categorized Silver Label by PATAFA. Such is the commitment that the people behind Milo and RunRion brings to the game every single edition of the NMM.hing time; a 21K runner must cross at a qualifying time of 2(hrs): 30(mins); a 42K runner must finish within the cut-off time of 6hours. Not for the weak of heart, definitely.Shown here: Lester Castillo and the Milo stalwarts Coach Rio and Andrew NeriThrilled to be among the running bloggers and team captains of top running groups during the NMM Media Launch held Saturday May 25 at the Bahay Alumni, UP Diliman QC.
This year’s Milo edition is also co-presented by bXtra, a global LOYALTY CARD SERVICE PROVIDER. As a bXtra member, points earned can be redeemed immediately on cash-back mode! After you sign up for the Milo event, go to https://www.bxtra.com.ph/and avail of its member-services for a more meaningful consumer experience!
So here’s a heartfelt message from one Milo baby to another: They say that you keep a memory alive by remembering. I say, we can only be truly runners if we keep to time-honored traditions like Milo Marathon. Unleash the CHAMPION from within! #BuildChampions #MiloMarathon
The Life of a RunningAdik 
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