Philippine Team member Julius Sermona of Negros Occidental grabbed the spotlight yesterday by reigning supreme in the 42-kilometer 30th National Milo Marathon in Manila.

After a three-year hiatus from the Milo competitions, the Libacao, Himamaylan native Sermona clocked in two hours and twenty-two minutes to bring home the crown together with a cash prize of P75,000.

The 28-year-old Sermona, a silver and bronze medalist in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, bested the field that had other leg winners including two-time champion Cresenciano Sabal, former national athlete Allan Ballester and Yakult 10-Miler titlist Bernardo Desamito among others.

Perennial Negros marathon winner Eric Panique, who also hails from Himamaylan, placed 10th in the national annual hostilities after timing in 2:23:00 for a cash prize of P3,000.

Sermona, who usually competes in middle distances, qualified for the 42-K national Milo marathon after topping the Bacolod leg of the event last July, while Panique and Rene Desuyo of Cadiz City finished first and second runners-up, respectively, to earn spots in the national competitions.

Oscar "Dodong" Bascon yesterday said that he and his wife, Himamaylan Mayor Carmenia Bascon, are glad about the achievement.

The Himamaylan local government will honor the feat of the runners, including Cherry Lee Bautista who saw action in the women's category, on Dec. 18 when Sermona comes home for the holidays, Bascon said.

Bautista, who placed second in the Bacolod leg, competed in the women's division of the national finals together with Bacolod champion Irene Apuhin, a graduate of West Negros College. *CIT

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