Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympian Mary Joy Tabal-Jimenez will hit the road again as she leads some 300 Filipinos who will compete in the 2025 EVA Air Marathon on Oct. 26 in Taipei, Taiwan.
EVA Air Marathon press launch
The Cebu-based runner is regarded as the country’s top long-distance athlete. They are a gold medalist from the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, a six-time champion in the Milo Marathon, and successfully completed the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.
“I’m excited to be finally back on the road. This is not a simple marathon, because it’s about finding the joy in running again after spending time with my family as full-time mother and wife,” says Tabal at the event’s recent press launch organized by Cebu-based travel agent Travel Care.
Mandaue City’s sports development head has been appointed as Team Philippines’ official ambassador. Joining this initiative are Ceasar Miguel Fuentes, an athlete scholar from Sto. Niño Mactan College, and Precious Mae Villaver, a celebrated deaf runner.
The 35-year-old record holder is determined to break her personal best of 2 hours and 43 minutes, achieved during the 2016 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. This time remains Canada’s national record, and she aims to surpass it.
National and student athletes, endorsed by the Department of Education and the Philippine Sports Commission, will join the contingent. Their participation is sponsored by Travel Care, the Marathon’s official travel agent and local presenter.
Inaugurated in 2018 by Taiwan-based carrier EVA Air, this year’s running event aims to attract 24,000 runners from around the globe, showcasing Taiwan as a premier sports tourism hub in Asia.
The race features an IAAF – AIMS Certified Course, including half marathon, 10K, and 3K categories. The route is designed to showcase Taipei’s tourist attractions, such as the Presidential Office Plaza, Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center, and Chengmei Riverside Park.
Handsome cash prizes of NT$ 110,000, NT$ 50,000, NT$ 8,000 await the top winners of the 42K, 21K and 10K divisions, respectively.
EVA Airways general manager Rick Hsieh expressed optimism for a successful turnout of participants from the Philippines and other countries, particularly those where the airline flies.
“For the past decades, we have…
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