INQUIRER Global Nation

LOCAL runners won’t just have to win to make the national finals of the Milo Marathon but also have to make the qualifying time set by organizers.

This was announced yesterday during the launching of the Cebu leg of the country-wide marathon event.

The 21k qualifying time is set at one hour and 15 minutes for the men’s side and one hour and 35 minutes for the women’s category.

In the previous years, the top three runners in the 21k race will automatically qualify for the national finals.

“With this new development, we can produce quality full marathon runners,” said Milo Sports Executive Pat Goc-ong during yesterday’s launching at the Cebu City Sports Center.

The Cebu leg will be held this Sunday, simultaneous with the Manila leg.

Cebu Leg organizer Ricky Ballesteros said that they are ready for this Sunday’s race and explained that they are limiting the number of runners this year because of overcrowding at the starting line.

“Despite of limiting the number of runners this year, we still hold the biggest number of runners in Milo Marathon history,” Ballesteros said.