38th National Milo Marathon - Manila Elims

The MILO® Marathon is the longest-running and most-attended marathon in the Philippines. Since its inception in 1974, more and more people have joined, making it MILO®'s biggest and grandest sports event. Every year, more and more participants run different distances, supporting MILO®'s mission to build a nation of champions!

Manila Race Date and Venue

July 27, 2014  SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Registration Fee
42 km - PhP 750.00
21 km - PhP 630.00
10 km - PhP 530.00
5 km - PhP 110.00
3 km - PhP 80.00
Note: Plus one (1) MILO 300g empty pack

Registration Sites
Toby's MOA
Toby's Shangrila
Toby's SM North Edsa
RUNNR BHS
MOVE (BHS, near track 30th)

Assembly Time and Gun Start
42 km - 3:00 AM
21 km - 4:30 AM
10 km - 5:00 AM
3 km - 5:30 AM
5 km - 5:35 AM

Cut-off Time per Race Category
42 km : 6 hrs after the official start of the race
21 km : 2.5 hrs after the official start of the race
10 km : 1.5 hrs after the official start of the race
5 km   : 1 hr after the official start of the race
3 km   : 1 hr after the official start of the race

Marathon Qualifying Time per Age Bracket
18-34 : 3 hrs 55 mins (men); 4 hrs 30 mins (women)
35-39 : 4 hrs 00 mins (men); 4 hrs 35 mins (women)
40-44 : 4 hrs 05 mins (men); 4 hrs 40 mins (women)
45-49 : 4 hrs 10 mins (men); 4 hrs 45 mins (women)
50-54 : 4 hrs 15 mins (men); 4 hrs 50 mins (women)
55-59 : 4 hrs 20 mins (men); 4 hrs 55 mins (women)
60-64 : 4 hrs 25 mins (men); 5 hrs 00 mins (women)
65-69 : 4 hrs 30 mins (men); 5 hrs 05 mins (women)
70-up : 5 hrs 40 mins (men); 5 hrs 50 mins (women)

For more details, please follow this link to the Milo Marathon's official website - http://www.milo.com.ph

Kape pa!

Babala:  Isa itong madamdaming akda.

Nais ko magbigay-pugay sa ika-116 na taon ng Kalayaan ng Pilipinas. Sa araw na ito ay mararapatin ko na ilathala sa wikang Tagalog ang aking akda sa blog na ito.

Muling nagmula ang pagbabalik-tanaw sa makulay na kasaysayan ng Pilipinas sa isang tasang kape.  Sa higit dalawang dekada na laman ng diwa ko ang mga mensahe ng Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, patuloy pa din ako nagtatanong tungkol sa tunay na lunas ng kanser ng lipunan at kailan ito tuluyang masusugpo. Mga malungkot na tanong...na tuwing tinatanong ko sa sarili ko, hindi ko maiwasan na mangilid ang luha sa aking mga mata.  Kagaya ng marami sa ating mga Filipino, mahal ko ang Pilipinas. Mas pinili ko ang manatili dito dahil inaasam ko na kahit paano ay makakatulong ako sa pagbangon nito.  Anong petsa na nga ba ulit?  Ano na ang nangyari?  

Mukhang kulang pa din ang pagboto nang maayos, kung marami naman sa mga kababayan natin ang patuloy na nagbebenta ng boto sa mga tiwaling politiko.  Lima hanggang isang libong piso na halaga ng bawat boto para sa pansamantalang pagtawid sa gutom, na ang kapalit naman ay ang milyung-milyong buwis ng mga manggagawang Pilipino na sana ay nailaan sa pagsulong ng mga programang pang-edukasyon, pangkabuhayan, at imprastraktura.

Nakakapagod na din na buwan-buwan na magbayad ng wasto at tamang buwis, gayong talamak naman ang pagnanakaw ng mga ilang tiwaling opisyal ng gobyerno sa ilan or maaring bawat sangay nito.

Nakakasawa rin ang pagbali sa mga panuntunan at batas na magbibigay proteksyon sa interest ng mga mamimil, pati na rin ng kalikasan; ang patuloy na mentalidad ng ilan nating kababayan na iasa sa gobyerno ang pagbibigay ng tahanan at kuryente gayong hindi naman sila nagbabayad ng buwis, o ang pagtira sa mga pangunahing daluyan ng tubig na nagiging pangunahing sanhi ng malawakang pagbaha.  

Tuwing lumalabas ako ng ating bansa, lagi kong baon sa isip ko ang Pilipinas...na tila dumadalas na hindi ko na ito maiwasan ikumpara sa iba.  Bakit ang ibang bansa maunlad, tayo hindi? Gayong mayroon naman tayong kapasidad na tulungan ang ating mga sarili?

Hindi ako maka-kaliwa, ngunit nanatili ako mulat sa mga pangyayari sa lipunan na aking ginagalawan. Ngunit sa pagkakataon na ito gusto ko lamang ipahayag na pagod na ako magpagnakawan ng buwis, mapagkaitan ng mga pangunahing serbisyo publiko at imprastraktura, na makakakita ng maraming kababayan natin ang naghihirap pa din at tila mas nanaisin ng ilang politiko na manatili silang mangmang, mabagal na pag-usad ng hustisya, ang malawak na pagkasira ng ating kalikasan - na tila napapansin lamang kapag nagdaan na ang isang kalamidad.

Sana naman hindi ako naging masokista para ilagay pa dito ang larawan na ito mula sa Philippine Daily Inquirer, nailathala nito lamang mga nagdaang araw. Sapul na sapol sa kanser na matagal nang iniinda ng lipunan. Malala na talaga. Kung ang kape na nasa harap ko ngayon ay isang alak o gamot na makakapagpamanhid sa akin...oo, kape pa!  

photo grabbed from http://www.inquirer.net
from the article http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/609893/42-graft-raps-filed-vs-estrada-enrile-revilla-napoles

From Barefoot Runner to Marathon Master

Great Things Start from Small Beginnings

Unbeknownst to many, Coach Rio’s childhood was mired by hardship. His family struggled with poverty for many years while he was growing up, making it difficult for him to get an education and pursue his training in running. He has gone through it all: from selling “ice-tubig” as an 8-year old, walking several kilometers to and from school, to winning championships and organizing the biggest marathons in the country today. His life so far has truly been a journey.

Coach Rio recalls how he was once one of those barefoot runners, as a fifth grader competing in a track meet without shoes, and winning the 50-m sprint, 100-m sprint, long jump, and high jump events nevertheless. When he reached sixth grade, Coach Rio was able to join his first competitive distance race at the National MILO Marathon, in which he ran barefoot in the 5K category and won first place —an event that was very memorable to him and continues to be very close to his heart. “When I see these kids who run barefoot, I am reminded of how I used to be one of them. I never gave up on my dreams and I trained as hard as I could,” Rio shares. “I want kids to realize that despite their difficulties in life, they can still achieve their dreams and be the best if they work hard and persevere.”

Speaking from Experience

After winning races in the UAAP and countless marathons, Coach Rio also competed in several international running events such as the Paris Marathon and Boston Marathon. Apart from his extensive experience in the sport, it is also by his hard-earned diploma in Physical Education at the UP College of Human Kinetics that Coach Rio earned his salt as a bona fide running coach. Most of his clientele include top-ranking business executives, celebrities and elite runners, but it is his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for running prompted Coach Rio to take it a step further and become a race organizer. Today, he has positioned himself as one of the country’s most trusted names in organizing marathon events. 

Despite the challenges of balancing running training, academics and working odd jobs to earn money for food and basic necessities, Coach Rio believes that his college degree is his biggest achievement. He urges students to value their education, and to continue their schooling despite obstacles they may face. “I felt that running could be a stepping stone for me, so I pursued it. Finishing college was my dream so I trained hard and was able to get a scholarship. Education, especially a college degree, is important because if you do not succeed as an athlete, if you get injured, or when you retire from sports, you have something to fall back on,” says Coach Rio. “There will be many times when you have to sacrifice other things in order to focus on your studies. As much as you want to excel in your sport, you must not forget that finishing your education is still one of the biggest triumphs in life.”

Coach Rio also highlights the importance of the values he learned from running and applying them to his life. “Aside from hard work and determination, running taught me how to be responsible, overcome obstacles and stay committed to my goals. These values are learned not only in running, but in all other sports,” Rio explains. “But the most important thing I’ve learned is how to cultivate my passion in order to achieve my dreams. I believe that if I put my heart and mind into something, I will surely achieve it.” He makes sure to impart these lessons to people as he continues to inspire Filipinos to persevere in running for their dreams, especially the underprivileged youth. “We always hear about how poverty is not a hindrance to success, and I can say that my achievements are testament to that,” he proudly shares. “If I can do it, anybody can. No matter how hard life pushes you back, pick yourself up and keep on pursuing your dreams.”

The Race Goes On

Coach Rio will continue to organize the National MILO Marathon. This sporting event, with its rich history, expanding scope and growing attraction from hundreds of thousands of participants, is testament to MILO’s longstanding commitment to develop the Philippine athletic community and inspiring athletic excellence among Filipino runners especially the youth.

“Now that I will soon be a father, I will surely impart the values I learned from running to my child. Maybe, someday, we can run the National MILO Marathon together and if we do, I am fortunate enough to say that my kid will never have to run shoeless like i did. But if there’s one legacy I would like to give him, it would be to inspire him to reach for his dreams and become a champion in life, no matter how difficult it may seem.”

*photo grabbed from OneSport Magazine

*article from Milo