Little giants stride to victory

There were no surprises for a pair of small packages in the 2008 Milo Marathon National Finals.

Eduardo “Vertek” Buenavista proved he still got what it takes to win, besting a badly outclassed field to win the men’s crown while Mercedita Fetalvero emerged the “accidental champion” in the ladies side of the country’s premier marathon yesterday.

The 4-11 Buenavista, who last won in this annual race sponsored by Milo six years ago, came back with a vengeance, beating last year’s winner Cresenciano Sabal by a wide margin in a 2:23.47 clocking.

More than half an hour later, the 28-year-old Fetalvero, the former Mercedita Manipol, who was unchallenged in the 10K race of the same event from 1998 to last year, dashed home to cop her first full marathon victory in 2:58:38.

The early morning drizzle provided a big relief for the 18,598 runners – the biggest since the Cebu edition drew more than 20,000 three years ago – who answered the starting gun fired off by Nestle president and CEO Nandu Nandkishore at the Luneta Park.

But the absence of worthy rivals made it doubly easier for the tiny but big-hearted duo of Buenavista and Fetalvero to capture this year’s title worth P75,000 each.

Buenavista, who along with the other big guns in the national team, failed to see action in last year’s finale due to the Thailand SEA Games, said his victory only proved that he’s still the country’s best long distance runner.

“The win should prove that I’m still the champion, at least now, they know it,” said the 30-year-old Buenavista, an Air Force duty sergeant who trained in the mountain roads of Cordillera.

Sabal, who dominated the lean field last year, finished way behind Buenavista in 2:26:36 while Allan Ballester, another RP standout who won here in 2000 and 2001, came in third in 2:27:45.

After receiving her trophy and the money prize, Fetalvero, considered Asia’s Queen of the Road, disclosed that she really did not intend to run the full 42.195K route. But she was forced to continue because 2007 national champion Jho-Ann Banayag stepped out halfway through the race after sustaining a leg injury.

“My plan was to run only as far as the 21-kms just to help Jho-Ann improve her time,” said Fetalvero, from Sugod, San Agustin, Romblon nearly the same place where her discoverer, former RP athletic star Elma Muros-Posadas, hailed.

“I didn’t know Banayag would get injured so when she didn’t finish the race, my friends started to prod me to finish the race. I told them to give me water because I needed it for the long haul, and when they did, I finished it,” Fetalvero said.

Maricel Maquilan and Ma. Estela Diaz came in second and third in 3:06:08 and 3:11:15, respectively.

The route started at the Quirino Grandstand, with the competitors, from weekend runners to professionals, twice covering the length of Roxas Boulevard and part of Coastal Road near the Marina before heading back to Luneta.

Running at a deliberate pace on a cold morning on a virtually flat course, Buenavista had Sabal and Ballester, the 2003 Hanoi SEAG marathon gold medalist, in tow in the first 10kms on Roxas Blvd. near Buendia.

But Buenavista stepped on the gas in the next 10 kms at the halfway turn near the Coastal Mall, leaving Sabal and Ballester, who could not keep pace with the two-time Olympian.

“I was with them (Sabal and Ballester) in the first 10K but I left them midway in the race,” Buenavista said.

Buenavista, however, failed to break his personal best of 2:18:44 he recorded five years ago, saying two vitamin capsules he took the night before kept him wide awake till dawn.

His winning time was also too far off the time of 2:15:00 he must surpass to win the additional P25,000 prize.

“I was doing fine in the first half but I suddenly got dizzy in the final half because I felt suddenly sleepy. Maybe it was the vitamins,” Buenavista said.

It was the first time in a decade that Fetalvero missed winning the 10K crown, won by up-and-coming Russel Rollano in 42:03.

But the small loss gave her a bigger gain.

“It was the first time I didn’t win the 10K after 10 years but it’s okay since I won more,” Fetalvero said.