CHAMPS: Winning couple Eduard Flores (left) and Mea Gey Niñura flash smiles after ruling the Vermosa 21K qualifying leg of the Milo Marathon yesterday.

CALL it a winning running love affair.

Eduard Flores and Mea Gey Niñura, whose romance bloomed as members of the UP-Diliman athletics team, celebrated their two-year relationship as a couple yesterday by handily ruling the men’s and women’s divisions of the 21-kilometer race of the Vermosa qualifying leg of the Milo National Marathon at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite.

Running in cool and cloudy conditions over the rolling terrain inside the Ayala-owned residential sports and lifestyle hub, Flores topped the men’s race in one hour, 14 minutes and 59 seconds while Niñura topped the distaff side in 1:32.32.

By virtue of their victories, the couple advanced to the finals of the 42K race of the Milo Marathon finals on Dec. 1 in Cagayan de Oro City, an outcome that delighted race director Rio dela Cruz, also the UP athletics coach, no end.

“This is very good for them. And I am even more pleased that Flores and Niñura were able to graduate from their respective courses,” said Dela Cruz of the BS Physical Education graduates of the UP-Diliman College of Human Kinetics.

Taking runner-up honors in the men’s 21K run was Dhem Montlon (1:21.24) while Alberto Evans was third (1:22.19) while Lorely Magalona (1:43.58) and Yen Babta (1:46.25) were second and third, respectively, in the women’s category.  

A native of General Santos City, Flores, 26, felt confident he would top the race “because I already knew who I would be up against and tried to do my best to win,” adding he has aspirations of making the national team in men’s marathon.

Niñura, 25, who holds the girls’ high school Palarong Pambansa marks in the 1,500 and 3,000-meter runs set in the 2016 edition in Legazpi, Albay, said she was merely eyeing a podium finish “but not to top the race kasi marami ring veteran athletes na kasali. Pero ito, ibinigay pa rin sa akin so I am very grateful.”

Both champions said they need to step up in their training with the Milo Marathon Finals barely just over two months away.

“Kailangan pa magdagdag ng mileage para makasabay and at least mag-finish sa top 10,” said Davao City’s Niñura, who took up a second course of BS Sports Science at UP and will be eligible to run in the UAAP Season 87 track meet near the end of this year.

Flores, who is keen on representing the country in the men’s marathon of the Thailand Southeast Asian Games in December 2025, said he would calibrate his preparations to be able to finish strong in the national finals.

Milo Sports chief Carlo Sampan was pleased at the turnout of around 8,000 participants, including representatives from 82 Cavite schools in the other categories such as the 1K, 5K and 10K events, “that shows that our runs are becoming a family affair.”

Sampan also announced that the men’s and women’s champions in the Milo Marathon finals will be sent to represent the country in the famous Sydney Marathon as an added boost to the participants.