Manila Int’l Marathon returns on February 24

The biggest and most prestigious marathon event in the country – the Manila International Marathon – is back.

Former national athletes and MIM founding president Dino Jose announced on Thursday that the longest-running event last held in 2015 will return featuring the best local and foreign runners on February 24 (Saturday) at the Luneta Grandstand.

“Gone were the days when the marathon event was flourishing and regarded in the country. In my recollection during the 1982 edition, the late President Ferdinand Marcos himself witnessed the event and gave awards to the top finishers,” said Jose, a product of Gintong Alay headed by Michael Keon in the 80s.

“I lost it for a long time after immigrating to the US, but my passion for running, especially the marathon, did not disappear. Now that I’m retired, my focus is on restoring the prestige of the marathon in the country. It’s sad because, for the longest time, the personal time of the local marathoners has not been changed, nobody manages to break the 2:15.00 hours,” Jose told the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports, Inc. (TOPS) ‘Usapang Sports’ at the VIP Room of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Currently, the national record in the 42km marathon is held by Eduardo Buenavista (2:18.44) set in 2004 at the Beppu Oita Marathon in Japan, while the women’s record of 2:43.31 is held by Mary Joy Tabal in 2016 at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon in Canada.

“The question of many is why can’t the records be broken? My answer is that there is no such competitive event for our runners, so training and focus are limited. Now, we will try to do our best for the marathon again,” said Jose in the program sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Behrouz Persian Cuisine, and Pocari Sweat.

Over 100 foreign marathoners from Belgium, Australia, Japan, China, America, and France led by Nasser Allali who finished third at the recent Spain Open with a time of 2:17.06 are confirmed to participate.

“The presence of foreign athletes will give our athletes a big challenge so they can test their skills and how good they are. Hopefully, it will be somewhere to inspire our locals,” he said.

As additional motivation, Jose said that the top Filipino marathoner will be granted an all-expense trip to participate in the Taiwan Marathon in November. Members of the Philippine Team can also participate in the Manila Int’l Marathon for free.

Jose’s target is 2,000 participants and currently, there are 1,200 who have registered to participate in the tournament with a whopping P250,000 total prize. The event traverses the length of Roxas Boulevard covering the cities of Pasay and Paranaque.

Aside from the 42 km full marathon with an entry fee of P2,500, also at stake are events in the 21 km half marathon (P1,700), 10 km (P1,400), and 5 km (P1,200). The entry fee includes a free singlet, running shirt, and certificate.

“AFP members and government employees will be given a 20% discount, while Non-Government Organizations will be given a 50% discount,” said Jose.

For those interested in participating, the registration form is available at all Chris Sports branches and can also register via online registration at the Manilainternationalmarathon website.