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SAN PABLO CITY? UNIVERSITY OF Santo Tomas athletes Michael Baay and Jean Palencia topped the 33rd National Milo Marathon 21K elimination race here on Sunday but both failed to hurdle the qualifying time, marking the first time in three years that this city failed to send a runner to the finals.
Baay clocked 1:17.02 and Palencia had 1:36.00 at the close of the 26-leg elimination phase held for the past eight months. The men?s qualifying time was set 1:15:00 and the women?s at 1:35:00.
Both long-distance track runners in the UAAP, Baay and Palencia pocketed P10,000 despite missing slots to the 42K finals slated Oct. 11 in Manila.
Wilson Manangquil, a construction worker from General Santos City now based in Biñan, Laguna, came in second in 1:17.34 for P6,000 while third placer Jesse Ano bagged P4,000.
Divine Grace Tapit followed Palencia in 1:45.38 and Cinderella Agana finished in 1:49.41.
Baay said his unfamiliarity with the difficult course cost him a finals slot. He was in the five-man second pack in the first five kilometers, before overtaking Manangquil at the turn.
?This was the first time I competed here but still, I?m happy that I won,? said the 18-year-old Baay.
It was likewise a disappointment for Palencia, the UAAP record-holder in the 3,000m event, who placed 105th overall out of 183 participants in last year?s finals.
Romina S. Austria
