Camsur Marathon to serve as qualifier for Boston Marathon

Source : Manila Bulletin Sports
MANILA, Philippines — The 2nd Summit Water Camsur Marathon hitting the road on Sunday in Pili, Camarines Sur will serve as a qualifier for Filipino runners aiming to compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon next year, the event’s organizers announced Tuesday.

“Now Filipino runners no longer need to race abroad just to qualify for the Boston Marathon because our very own Camsur Marathon will be a qualifying race to one of the world’s famous running events,” said Camarines Sur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte in yesterday’s PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch in Manila.
Joining Villafuerte in the session sponsored by Shakey’s, PAGCOR, Smart and Outlast Battery was race director Rio dela Cruz, who noted the fact that the Camsur Marathon is the only accredited race course in the country by both the International Association of Athletics Federation and Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.
“This is the major reason why Sunday’s race became a qualifying run for the Boston Marathon,” said Dela Cruz, who himself had to race in the Fresno Marathon in California, another qualifying contest, this year before he could compete in what many consider the summit of marathon running.
He added that any Filipino marathoner 34 years old and below who completes the Camsur Marathon in three hours and 10 minutes will earn a ticket to the Boston Marathon scheduled in April 2012.