It seems that the country’s Marathon Queen Mary Joy Tabal of Cebu won’t push through with her scheduled training in Italy.
The 29-year-old Olympian said she will instead train in her hometown in Cebu as she guns to become a six-peat champion in the 42nd National Milo Marathon Grand Finals in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, on December 9. No Filipino has ever achieved such feat.
Tabal was supposed to leave for Tuscany, Italy, to train for the race but a delay in the arrival of her visa forced her and her major sponsor, the Motorace Kawasaki Racing Team, to change plans.
In a meeting yesterday with the Motorace Kawasaki Racing Team, both agreed that she will train in Cebu to prepare for the Grand Finals, the last major race that she will be joining this year.
“My visa for Tuscany, Italy, will not arrive on time and it would be very late if I fly there to train for the National Milo Marathon. So, we decided to have my training here in Cebu,” Tabal told Cebu Daily News.
Tabal trained in Tuscany for the past few years to prepare for her major races. But she said training in Cebu has an advantage.
“At least I don’t have to adjust with the time difference and the weather condition come race day,” Tabal said. “My team, Motorace, will make sure that all necessary things needed for my training will be provided.”
Her long-time coach John Philip Dueñas will again lead Tabal’s preparation here in Cebu.
“We will build her endurance for this (Milo) race,” said Dueñas. “We will have more long runs, compared to her training in Italy, where she had more interval training.”
Asked about her chances for this year’s race, Tabal said she is confident she can bag the title again. “As long as (I will have no) injuries.”