Even though she faced a problem of being unable to represent the country for the regional biennial tournament, Mary Joy Tabal shrugged that off and bagged the first gold medal for the Philippines by winning the women’s marathon at the ongoing 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 28 year old Tabal was a class on her own in the women’s marathon, showcasing impressive finishing time by exposing her dominance — leaving other runner in a much comfortable distance.
Tabal finished the 42.195 kilometer race in 2 hours 48 minutes 11 seconds while Hoang Thi Thanh of Vietnam checked in second place with more than seven minutes behind the Filipina.
Meanwhile, Natthaya Thanaronnawat of Thailand got the third place, pocketing the bronze medal.
It can be remembered that Tabal, a Cebuana marathoner, also delivered a silver medal finish in the 2015 SEA games in Singapore.
With this gold medal finish, the Philippines now has 4 medals in total — one gold, one silver through a Sepak Takraw event and two bronzes courtesy of PH Archery team. | with reports from Meg Siozon PTV Sports / Tretch Melarpes – PTV #SEAG2017PH