National MILO Marathon regulars Rafael Pescos and Ruffa Sorongon achieved an impressive feat as the 21K winners of the Cebu qualifying leg on Sunday. Over 17,000 hopefuls ruled the streets of the Queen City of the South, and were greeted by reigning National MILO Marathon Queen and 2016 Olympian Mary Joy Tabal as she led the 3K gun start of the race. Pescos and Sorongon took home the top purse of P10,000 in cash and a trophy, and booked their slots to the National Finals in Iloilo City on December 4 to try and claim the MILO Marathon King and Queen titles.

In the men’s division, Pescos finished with a time of 01:14:00 to clinch first place, putting his opponents Michael Largo (01:17:01) and Noel Tillor (01:17:20), in second and third places, respectively. In the distaff side, Sorongon clocked in at 01:26:24, followed by Cresabel Cadion (01:32:10) in second place and Sandra Soliano (01:46:26) in third.

By outpacing last year’s Cebu leg champion Noel Tillor, first-time MILO Marathon winner Rafael Pescos is now one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming one of the top racers of the prestigious footrace. Pescos owes his victory to his training regime. “Every day I take the long runs in the morning and in the afternoon to prepare. I am very happy with the outcome of the race because all my hard work paid off,” he shared. The 22-year-old runner of Negros Occidental will return to his training ground with a new objective in mind – to finish in the top 10 in the National Finals. “I’ve always dreamed of joining the roster of top runners in the National Finals. I will surely do my best in turning this into reality,” he said.

Despite her limited training, Ruffa Sorongon, was able to comfortably claim her fourth win in the Cebu qualifiers. Only equipped with a week’s worth of training, the 25-year old runner managed to lead the race. “I kept a motivated spirit to help me complete this race with success,” she shared. The Davao native takes inspiration from her idols, marathoners Mary Joy Tabal and the Jaro sisters, who have been her source of encouragement in all of the races she joins. “They serve as my reminder to persevere with my goals. I admire their talents and they are a big influence to my running career.”

The National MILO Marathon is not only a breeding ground for local talents but also a program that empowers children nationwide. With the support of the Department of Education and the National MILO Marathon runners, MILO’s Help Gives Shoes advocacy will provide 10,000 underprivileged youth with brand new running shoes this year. MILO is working with DepEd in the selection of deserving public school student beneficiaries.

The next qualifying leg will take place in Dumaguete on October 2 before heading to Davao (October 9), General Santos (October 16), Cagayan De Oro (October 23), and Butuan (October 30). The National Finals will be held on December 4 in Iloilo City.

The 40th National MILO Marathon is made possible by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Department of Education and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, and is supported by Asics, Salonpas, TIMEX, 2XU, Endurance, Hisense, Maynilad and PhilamLife.

For more information on MILO Philippines, log on to the official website (http://www.milo.com.ph) or the MILO Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/milo.ph). Follow MILO on Twitter (@MiloPH) and Instagram (@MiloPhilippines).

About MILO
The MILO brand is the world’s leading chocolate malt beverage that can be prepared with hot or cold milk or water. MILO also promotes participation in sports through its Summer Sports Clinics, MILO-B.E.S.T. Center Training Program, MILO Marathon, and MILO Little Olympics. The leading beverage brand believes that these contribute to the holistic development of Filipino champions in sports and in life.

About the National MILO Marathon
The National MILO Marathon is an annual marathon event open to amateur and professional runners. From its humble beginnings in 1974 as a single marathon race in Metro Manila attended by 747 participants, the National MILO Marathon has grown to be the biggest, longest, grandest national running event in the country attracting more than hundreds of thousands of runners across the country.

The National MILO Marathon has grown into a globally renowned running event having been certified by the Association of International Marathons (AIMS) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and hosts foreign marathoners from Kenya, Ethiopia, and other countries across the world. The race is organized by RunRio, Inc.

About Nestle Philippines
Over a hundred years after it first started operations in the country, Nestle Philippines, Inc. (NPI) today is a robust and stable organization, proud of its role in bringing the best food and beverage throughout the stages of the Filipino consumers’ lives. The Company employs nearly 4,000 men and women nationwide, and is now among the country’s Top 8 Corporations. Driven by its mission to nurture generations of Filipino families, Nestle today produces and markets products under some of the country’s well-known brands such as NESCAFE, NIDO, MILO, NESTEA, MAGGI, BEAR BRAND, NESTLE and Purina, among others. Its product range has expanded to include coffee, milk, beverages, non-dairy creamer, food, infant nutrition, ice cream and chilled dairy, breakfast cereals, confectionery and pet care.