Tabal returns, leads PH delegation in Tokyo Marathon

MANILA, Philippines – Motherhood hasn’t kept Mary Joy Tabal from her sport as she recently saw action in the Tokyo Marathon.

Tabal, the first Filipina marathoner to compete in the Olympics, missed the last Southeast Asian Games due to her pregnancy and became a new mom late last year.

But Tabal looked to be working her way back to the sport as she led the ASICS Philippines team, the local delegation that represented the country at the Tokyo Marathon.

The former Philippine athletics star, who won the gold in the 2017 SEA Games and competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, still came out in competitive form in the 42K with a clocking of 3 hours and 23 minutes.

Another Philippine delegate, Jefferson Lo from Pinoy Fitness, finished the Tokyo race in 5 hours and 13 minutes.

The marathon featured the past, present and the future of Tokyo. It started at the front gate of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and ended at the Tokyo Station. 

The race covered different districts of Tokyo – Shinjuku, Suidobashi, Kanda, Nihombashi, Asakusa Kaminarimon Gatena, Ryogoku, Monzen-nakacho, Ginza, Tamachi, Hiiya and Tokyo Station/Gyoko-dori Ave.

While running, the marathoners were able to catch a glimpse of the famous tourist spots in Japan such as the Tokyo Tower, Senso-ji which is Tokyo’s oldest temple, Asakusa, and the Imperial Palace.

Aside from the marathon, Tabal and the ASIC Philippines team of Lo and Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados also saw action in the Shakeout Run, an easy run for the delegates coming from all regions of the brand. – Rappler.com