Sabal, Boncit top Milo eliminations in Palawan, General Santos City

PUERTO Princesa City, Philippines – Elmer Sabal showed superior running skill and won the Palawan leg of the 33rd National Milo Marathon elimination Sunday at Mendoza Park.

Sabal, the second of three Sabal running brothers from Sultan Kudarat, pulled away from the rest of the field right from the starting gun flagged off by Councilor Erwin Edualino.

Meanwhile, in the National Milo Marathon held simultaneously at the Notre Dame de Dadiangas University in General Santos City, Junel Boncit claimed his third straight leg championship in the country’s Tuna Capital even as Monalisa Ambasa stole the limelight from former national champion Estela Diaz.

A total of 6,000 runners joined the race in Palawan held in partnership with Bayview Park Manila.

“I sized up my opponents before I made the move,” said Sabal, who will be seeing action for the third time in the Milo finals since 2004.

Three-time champion Ruiben Samuya came in second 1:15.16 and joined Sabal in the finals. Local boy Marco Laipan checked in third in 1:16.07, but his effort was short of the 1:15 qualifying standard in the 21K.

There were no qualifiers in the women’s division as Bernardita Mag-aso, Maricris Laipan and Enate Sayrol failed to meet the 1:35 qualifying mark.

Mag-aso won the event in 1:36.26, Laipan second in 1:53.13, and Sayrol third in 1:53.37.