PHILIPPINE marathon queen Mary Joy Tabal has started to intensify her focus at another Olympic stint—this time Tokyo 2020—and has lined up a busy 2019 program.
Fresh from topping the National Milo Marathon in Laoag City for the sixth straight year, Tabal said she is slowly regaining her old form that earned her a ticket to her first Olympics in Rio de Janeiro two years ago.
The 29-year-old pride of Cebu City clocked two hours and 56.31 seconds in ruling the Laoag City race. The figures were below her personal best of 2:43:31 she booked at the Scotia Bank Marathon in Canada in 2016 that qualified her for Rio.
Tabal, who shared the limelight with men’s champion Rafael Poliquit on Sunday, said that she is still recovering from her campaign in the Jakarta Asian Games and encountered challenges during the 42-km race in the Ilocos Norte capital.
As she embarks on another grueling season, Tabal said she looks forward to competing in the 30th Southeast Games.
“It will be an honor to represent our country. I want to continue what I started. This is a continuous process, this is not only for the SEA Games,” she said.
John Philip Dueñas, Tabal’s head trainer, said her training in Tuscany in Italy kept her in good shape.
The diminutive runner will join the Tokyo Marathon in March but Dueñas said Tabal would already be in Japan to acclimatize with the cold weather.
“We will start our intensive training next year. We want her to break the 2:40 mark,” Dueñas said.
The Tokyo Marathon is the first qualifying race for the Olympics. The Olympic standard for the 42-km women’s race will be announced one year before Tokyo 2020. The qualifying time for Rio was 2:45.