11,000 stories

On May 26, 1974, a total 767 runners answered the starting gun of the very first Milo marathon. Only 200 crossed the finish line. That was the very first Milo story recorded.

On Sunday, add another 11,000 more.

With more than eleven thousand people taking part in last Sunday’s Milo regional eliminations here, there are 11,000 or so stories more to tell about the experience.

Two stories may be on top of it. Those stories belong to the big winners in men’s champ Joselito Dugos and women’s titlist Judelyn Miranda who both recorded history by winning their first ever Davao City titles of this prestigious footrace.

Joselito, the Criminology senior from Holy Cross of Davao, buried memories of a tragic Christmas with his first taste of victory. Judelyn, a petite, pretty girl from Tagum City, also buried the curse of a string of bridesmaid finishes. This time, she finished as the bride on that July morning date that served as her successful comeback to the running mainstream.

But those are but the stories of the cake’s icing top.

There are many others and I couldn’t help but tell a few. Thanks to the warm accommodation of Milo Events Coordinator for SouthMin region, Ceril Rose Ortuoste, I had a great time meeting old friends and recollecting the storied races of the past.

I once ran a Milo race, a 3-K event for the media when I was 30 pounds lighter. At least in a man’s lifetime, you must run one marathon. I would not count out doing it again in the future, 30 pounds lighter or otherwise.

This year’s 11,000 cast was simply amazing in the words of Milo’s sports events coordinator Pat Goc-ong. I believe so. The field would have swelled to 15,000 easily but that would be harder to manage. Even then, the sellout crowd was efficiently managed by the heir to the late legendary race coordinator Vic Sai—his son Kenneth.

Kenneth did a great job and I doff my hat to the guy. Of course, same goes to his lovely wife Honey, too. Kenneth’s rise from a being simply his father’s son to becoming a son the father wanted him to be was a dream paved by this Milo tradition. Father Vic must be smiling up there in heavens.

Pat Goc-ong says they need to start scouting a new venue for the race if this is the rate it grows. Now, that’s the job for Kenneth and Ceril Rose to find.

I met an old friend Ron delos Reyes in the race too. Ron is the host of a television motoring show and originally, the Milo race coordinator way, way back the times of former champions Jimmy dela Torre and Wilfredo Ballester. Ron ran the 10-K last Sunday “because it just happened (he) was here.” He wore the 33rd edition Milo shirt and then emerged from the race less than an hour after already refreshed and wearing a retro 20th edition singlet.

I remember the 20th edition was won by Cebu sensation Roy Vence who had six Milo titles to his name—the most by any champion thus far.

Milo’s rich history book saw different stories your Lolo will probably tell stories of.

Numeriano Titong, a golf caddy became the first Milo marathon champion. He clocked a slow three hours, 4 minutes and 10 seconds, not bad for a first championship. 31 years later he ran again in the 29th Milo marathon in 2005.

Today, that clocking is much slower than the women’s record. Jho-an Banayag holds the women's fastest running time when she clocked in 02h48m16s in 2007.

In the men’s side, Eduardo Buenavista clocked in 02h18m53s during the 2007 Metro Manila eliminations breaking the fastest running record of 02h21m33s set by Cresenciano Sabal in 2005.

I fired the starting gun last Sunday at the break of day at Rizal Park. As the sea of green ran past by me, I saw nothing but green in minutes. It went by like storybooks in motion. Each individual with a story of his own. This was my own story too—all told in the bark of gun. Imagine, the race that was now part of history, started at the flick of my finger.