Neri gets shot at Milo finals

CEBU City – It was the first time that the number of runners went over a thousand in the Cebu leg of the 24th Milo Marathon and fittingly, the event produced a pair of first time winners of the event.

In the men’s division, University of Cebu a crack runner Rogelio Neri, 20, a finalist in the 1998 Milo Marathon finals in Manila, gets another shot at the finals when he posted a relatively easy win over South Western University’s Tirso Pamaybay, clocking a slow 35:05 time to the latter’s 35:12.

Neri, a sophomore Criminology student, towed a three-man lead pack, together with Pamaybay and defending champion Bowen Montecillo, practically from the start at the Cebu City Sports Complex, until the last two kilometers when he stepped up the pace and left the others en route to a solo win worth P5,000.

The women’s division turned to be an even easier win for first time Irish Salatandol, 20, from South Western University in Cebu as she took the lead half a kilometer from the starting line and steadily pulled away from the closest pursuer, eventual second placer Merlita Arias, also from SWU. She won P5,000 for a time of 44:25. Arias took P3,000. The last qualifying slot was won by Amale Mendoza.