The 34th Milo Marathon Cebu eliminations will fire off on Sunday with an expected 23,000 runners in 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K. The event in Cebu, which will start on Osmeña Blvd. near Cebu Normal University and end inside the Cebu City Sports Center is the second biggest leg of the Milo Marathon eliminations following Metro Manila.
MILO SHOE. Milo officials with a sample of the Milo running shoes they are giving away to children as part of the company’s advocacy. (PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARLEN LIMPAG)Milo sports executive Andrew Neri said that for this year’s Cebu elimination, they implemented several innovations for a local Milo run including the 1.) use of a timing system for 10K and 21K, 2.) production of better race singlets using fabric imported from Thailand, 3.) giving of finishers’ medals and 4.) designation of different qualifying times for various age groups.
Neri said that those who complete the 21K run within the cut-off time of 2 hours and 30 minutes will get finishers’ medals. He said a bus will be designated as sweeper to transport those who can’t make it within the cut-off time and are deemed unable to finish by race marshals.
Milo officials said the decision whether to pick a runner up will be made on a “case-to-case basis.”
Stephanie Sy, consumer marketing manager for Milo, said that as part of the company’s advocacy, they will be donating shoes to young runners. Before this morning’s launch, the company gave away 400 pairs of Milo running shoes to students of Tejero Elementary School.
Sy said they decided to give away shoes because at times, they see children who run barefoot
The program for Sunday’s event will start at 5 a.m. on Osmeña Blvd. The 21K gun start will be at 5:30 a.m., to be followed by successive gun starts for the other races.
Neri said that while they encourage 10K and 21K runners to use the singlets issued by Milo, they will not require it. Neri said they recognize that most runners of longer distances are already comfortable with their own running shirts. He said, however, that the singlets being distributed by Milo are of “very good” quality and will not cause chafing.
Runners of 3K and 5K, however, will be required to wear the Milo singlets because of security issues and for convenience in monitoring participants, race officials said. Bulk of the 23,000 runners on Sunday are registered in 3K and 5K.
The 34th Milo Marathon Cebu eliminations is the sixth of 18 races scheduled for the year. After the Cebu leg, Milo will head to Tagbilaran City on Sept. 12, Dumaguete City on Sept. 19, Iloilo City on Sept. 26 and Naga City on Oct. 3.