MANILA, Philippines - Reigning Milo marathon champion Rafael Poliquit Jr. and five-time Milo run titlist Eduardo Buenavista gear up for a showdown while local ace Mary Joy Tabal banners the distaff side in the fifth Cebu SM2SM run firing off this Sunday at SM City Cebu.
Over P500,000 in cash will be up for grabs in the biggest running event outside of Metro Manila with Poliquit, Buenavista and Tabal, a two-time Milo run winner, headlining the big cast of elite and veteran runners vying in the 21K, 12K, 6K and 3K categories.
The race will start from SM City Cebu to SM Seaside City and back with the field to pass through Cebu City’s newest development by the sea, the South Road Properties, the architectural landmarks of the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod and the soon-to-open SM Seaside City Cebu towards neighboring Talisay City.
The Davao City-native Poliquit, who nailed his first Milo crown last December, braces for a battle royale with Buenavista in the centerpiece 21K event with the diminutive veteran South Cotabato runner coming off a stint in the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris at the Champs-Elysees in Paris last year.
Poliquit, meanwhile, and Tabal are priming up for the Los Angeles marathon on March 15, their reward for winning last year’s Milo national marathon.
Tabal is also a consistent podium finisher in the last four races of SM2SM run.
John Philip Dueñas, Tabal’s long-time coach, is also entered in the 21K category along with Davaoeño Elmer Bartolo, the reigning 2015 Cebu City marathon king in the 21K, and Cebuano Noel Tillor, who placed fifth in last year’s Milo run finals.
All 21K and 12K finishers will receive the SM2SM run finisher’s medal, while all finishers will receive an eco-friendly bag filled with goodies and will be included in a raffle which offers a Suzuki motorcycle, five units of 40” flat screen TV, an HP Laptop computer, and four tablets. The fifth SM2SM run is staged for the benefit of Cebu Newspaper Workers Foundation, Inc. (CENEWOF), the Children of Cebu Foundation, Inc., and the SM Cares Village in Bogo, Cebu.