Official Winners: 36th Milo Marathon Manila Eliminations

Wow! Me, my family, friends are among the 38,429 runners who had the amazing experience of joining the longest running event in the country, the 36th Milo Marathon that happened on July 29, 2012 at the Mall of Asia. 

38,429 participated in this year’s Milo Marathon Manila eliminations breaking last year’s record of 35,000.


Winner in the 42K Men’s Division with a record time of 2:39:57 is 23 year old Jason Agravante from Silay City.  This is Agravante’s first major title after participating in six years.  Jason said,

“In the beginning of the race, I was neck and neck with two Kenyans and two Filipino runners, but I picked up the pace midway. I was already leading the pack when we reached the Buendia flyover in Makati City,” said Agravante. “A Kenyan runner tried to overtake me in the last 8 kilometers of the race, however, I was already near the finish line.”

Coming in second and third place are brothers Elmer and Gerald Sabal with 2:45:16 and 2:46:10, respectively.

Winner in the 42K Women’s Division is the 30 year old and two-time champion and MILO Marathon national record holder Jho-an Banayag clocking in at 3:02:20.  Banayag is a native of Compostela Valley and also a Private First Class in the Philippine Army.  She said, 

“The weather slowed me down a bit, but I’d prefer a little rain over a warm day.  I’m looking forward to the National Finals in December. I will dedicate more of my time to training for the finals.”

Banayag is currently training with the RP national team in Baguio City, along with defending MILO Marathon Queen Mary Grace de los Santos.

Both top bets in the Finals Banayag and Agravante pocketed the Php 50,000 top prize, while the runners-up took home Php 30,000 for second place and Php 20,000 for third place. Banayag and Agravante will lead several others to the National Finals on December 9 at Mall of Asia (MOA) grounds in Pasay City.

Among the 2,000 participants in the 42K category is Aklanon Mark Joseph “Aga” Casidsid, who successfully completed the 42-k track despite the challenges of being visually impaired.  This for me is the most heart warming fact in this year’s Milo Marathon.

Winners in the 21K race are, Rafael Poliquit Jr. who finished first in 1:14:35 in the Men’s Division, while Nhea Ann Barcena topped the women’s category in 1:33:38. 

Only local participants, meaning Filipinos and foreigners with a working visa, can join and win in the 42-k and 21-k elimination races. Overseas participants may also join and compete in the 42-K and 21-K tracks at the National Finals for as long as they fulfill the requirements. National race organizer Rio de la Cruz said that for a foreign runner to qualify in the National Finals, he or she must provide proof of finish in any sanctioned or accredited races by the Association of International Marathons (AIMS) one year before race day.  After the Metro Manila Leg, the qualifying race will shift to Naga on Aug. 19.  The complete schedule of the provincial eliminations can be found here while the official Manila eliminations race result can be found here.

The winner in the local category of the 36^th MILO Marathon National Finals will receive P 150,000 for the men and women’s division, respectively, while a sum of P300,000 will be given to the winners in the Open category.

The 36th National MILO Marathon is made possible by Timex, the Bayview Park Hotel Manila and Reebok, along with partnerships with the Department of Education and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Photo and Info source:  Strategic Edge, Inc.