 |
| Left – National MILO® Marathon 3K Winners Female Category, Right – Top 10 3K finishers Katniss and Kate running together with their mom and sister (Image Source: Punto! Central Luzon/MILO Philippines) |
With MILO®’s presence in the Philippines for nearly 60 years, it’s no surprise why Filipinos nationwide have their fair share of stories of enjoying its unique and familiar taste or the numerous programs and activities throughout the years. The National MILO® Marathon is one such memory. With the recent comeback of the marathon on March 26, MILO® once again brought together kids, senior citizens, families, and professional and amateur athletes. With this, MILO® stayed true to its goal of nourishing Filipinos’ journey to success through becoming an “ACTIVE PILIPINAS”.
At the 2:00 am gun start of the 42K category, runners took notice of 76-year-old Nanay Rosalinda who was front and center in the crowd of runners. She finished the full marathon with a time of 5:48:10. Nanay Rosalinda shared that at 65 years old, she started running with her husband, proving that it’s never too late to begin an active lifestyle. Even after her husband’s death, she continued running to maintain her physical wellbeing and even started a YouTube channel “The Running Lola” to inspire and encourage the younger generation to start their running journey. “Try it first and don’t say no without trying. Kasi ako kung di ko pinagbigyan ang anak ko, ‘di ko malalaman na kaya ko pala — ‘di lang marathon pati ultramarathon nagagawa ko pa at my age now na 76-years-old,” she shared.
Jeff Lo, founder of the online running and fitness community Pinoy Fitness, also joined the marathon as a 21K finisher following his recent half-marathon in the Tokyo Marathon. Jeff has been participating in MILO Marathons since 2012 so he commended his MILO Marathon 2023 experience where strict cut-off times for 21K and 42K categories were implemented, ensuring safety and preparedness among participating runners. When asked what fuels his passion for running, he shared that “running ignites a sense of purpose and drive within me. It allows me to set and work towards goals that push me beyond my limits, which is incredibly rewarding. Running also provides a platform for continuous personal growth and development.”
Aside from seasoned runners like Nanay Rosa and Jeff, kids of all ages were also spotted throughout the run. With the categories and cut off time being flexible in this year’s MILO Marathon, many kids were able to challenge themselves and finish the marathon with their families and friends. 10-year-old Katniss, a top 10 3K finisher alongside her sister 8-year-old Kate, shared that she likes to run because it’s a fun activity for her and it enables her to stay fit. Their mom elaborated that they run as a form of family bonding and expressed her enthusiasm to see her kids reach the top 10 finalists of the 3K category.
Apart from the success of the on-ground marathon, MILO®’s Virtual Marathon also had a significant achievement by gathering over 2,000 virtual marathon finishers who received an e-certificate and e-badge. MILO® will continue to energize Filipinos nationwide as it visits Batangas City for the second leg of the National MILO® Marathon on May 28, 2023. Join the run in Plaza Mabini, Batangas City by registering at bit.ly/milomarathonbatangas and catching the latest updates at https://www.milo.com.ph/activepilipinas and MILO® Philippines' official Facebook page.
