Standing a little over five feet, Buenavista strode clear of the pack at the sound of the starting gun and checked in alone in two hours, 24 minutes and 18 seconds.
“Umpisa pa lang binira ko agad. Hindi na ako lumingon at tuloy-tuloy yung takbo ko sa finish line,” said Buenavista, a 32-year-old runner from Sto. Niño, South Cotabato now based in Baguio. “Ang akala ko humabol yung dalawang Kenyan runners kaya mabilis yung takbo ko. Run to win ang ginawa ko.”
Buenavista stemmed the tide of the Kenyan invasion that has riled many local runners, including six-time Milo champion Roy Vence who questioned the propriety of allowing Kenyans to join the races.
“Ginagawa na nila kasing hanap-buhay ang mga karera dito,” Vence was quoted as saying, following the 1-2-3 Kenyan sweep of the Quezon City International Marathon last week.
But on a chilly Sunday morning, Buenavista won’t be denied.
Two Kenyans, unable to keep pace with Buenavista, came in five minutes behind with Willy Tanui coming in second in 2:29.50.
William Kipyego was third with a time of 2:30.19.
Tanui and Kipyego consoled themselves with P150,000 and P75,000, respectively.
“Maganda ang pasko ko sa taon ito dahil nanalo ako at nakuha ko yung malaking premyo,” said Buenavista who pocketed the top purse of P300,000.
It marked the second time Buenavista won this year, following his victory in the National Open last May.
It also came just two weeks after his forgettable stint in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China where he finished in the tail-end of the race.
Buenavista, however, failed to improve the event’s best time of 2:18.33 which he recorded in 2008. His personal best is 2:18.00 he achieved during the Bipphu Japan International marathon in Oita in 2004.
It was Buenavista’s third Milo title, matching the feat of Jimmy dela Torre (1981, 82 and 84) and Wilfredo Ballester (1985, 90, 91).
Vence still holds the record of most Milo victories with six.
Julius Sermona, the 2006 champion from Negros Occidental, came in fourth at 2:30.41, followed by Anthony Nerza at 2:30.43, and Cresenciano Sabal at 2:33.55.
Nerza won the event in 2005 while Sabal was the 2007 champion.
Flordeliza Donos defeated another Kenyan, Susan Jemuyri, to win the women’s event in 3:05.07. She became the first runner from Palawan to win the event.
Her victory was made easy following the absence of multiple winners Jho-An Banayag and Christabel Martes.
Jemuyri settled for second place in 3:07.52 while Mary Joy Tabul took third in 3:08.38.
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