Tuesday, July 29, 2008 Banayag eyes another Milo marathon crown By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
BACK-to-back national champion Jho-An Banayag of Compostela Valley will take another shot at the crown when she competes in the 2nd National Milo Marathon Davao City leg, which hits the road this Sunday.
"I wasn't able to defend my title last year because I was at the height of my Southeast Asian (SEA) Games debut," the 26-year-old Banayag told Sun.Star Davao.
Banayag, a SEA Games bronze medalist, was in Davao City recently to accept her second So Kim Cheng Sports Foundation Female Athlete of the Year Award at the Grand Regal Hotel on July 22.
"I'll go home to ComVal and come back for the Milo Marathon on August 3. I prefer competing here for the qualifying because it's only a half-marathon while the Manila qualifying is a full marathon," Banayag said.
Banayag said she is confident to win again and regain her Milo title having swept the female crowns in the Clark International Marathon in Clark, Pampanga on January 13, 4th Philippine International Marathon in Manila on February 24, 2008 and in the Manila Marathon on July 6 this year.
She also crowned herself a grand slam queen in the Philippine International Marathon with three consecutive titles to her credit.
The five-foot-one runner graduated at the University of Mindanao in 2005 with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Commerce before she was taken into the national track and field team. She won her first National MILO title also in 2005.
Organizers from Milo meanwhile will appear during the regular Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the Tower Inn to give details on the coming marathon.
