CEBUANA marathon queen Mary Joy Tabal faces very tough competition in the 2016 Boston Marathon this April 18.
Tabal and fellow Milo Marathon finals co-champion Rafael Poliquit will represent the country in the world’s most prestigious marathon.
Leading the list of strong contenders are the 2015 Boston Marathon defending champions Lelisa Desisa (2:09.17) of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Caroline Rotich (2:24.55).
Desisa is a two-time Boston Marathon champion. Desisa ran four marathons last year, finishing second in Dubai, winning Boston, placing seventh at the World Championships, and third in New York City while Rotich is aiming for a back-to-back win in the distaff side.
Tabal is hoping to qualify for the August Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.