Wagdos withdraws from Asiad marathon

Philippine marathon record holder Sonny Wagdos has withdrawn from the Asian Games marathon scheduled for tomorrow after falling ill ahead of the competition.

In a Facebook post, Wagdos revealed that he has been battling a high fever, forcing him to pull out of the event.

“I’m backing out of the marathon category due to high fever. I don’t know why, maybe it’s hard to adapt to the weather from hot to cold. Sayang talaga preparation namin,” Wagdos said.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association Secretary General Jasper Tanhueco shared that Wagdos had already been dealing with illness and taking medication even before arriving in Nagoya.

“He’s feeling better now, but we consulted with Sonny and Coach Vertek. Siyempre, priority natin ang well-being ng athlete. Marathon ‘yun at hindi biro, especially given his condition now,” Tanhueco said.

The 32-year-old Philippine Air Force sergeant made history earlier this year at the Tokyo Marathon, where he clocked 2:14:32 to break the 22-year-old Philippine marathon record previously held by his coach, two-time Olympian Eduardo ‘Vertek’ Buenavista.

Wagdos was expected to lead the country’s marathon campaign alongside fellow Filipino runner Richard Salano.

Despite missing the marathon, Wagdos’ Asian Games stint may not be over. He is still expected to compete in the men’s 5,000-meter event on September 29, provided he has fully recovered from his illness.