Salomon City Trail Run 2015 – Race Recap

The Salomon CityTrail Run lets the runners explore hidden routes within the city. Intramuros provided a historic backdrop and a tough route. Despite a boring 4-loop course, the Salomon CityTrail Run is race that gives a new perspective about running in the city.

At the Starting Line

Intramuros turned into a busy tourist spot on Sunday as runners converge at Fort Santiago. This fort is one of the most historical sites in Manila. It is where Jose Rizal was imprisoned before he was executed.

Fort Santiago was lively and festive with drum beaters and music. Assembly time was 4:00 PM but the gun start was around 4:45 PM. The event had a program that talks about some trivia about Intramuros and a raffle of great items.

Running inside Intramuros

I can’t remember the last time I have been in Intramuros. Thus, I was excited to be part of the race to explore Intramuros on running shoes.

The race has a 6K and a 12K distances only. The 6K will covers a 2-loop route in Intramuros while the 12K has about 4-loops. I was getting bored in the 3rd loop but the 4th loop used a detour that offered new views while running on top of the wall.

The route was not easy. While the roads were smooth in Intramuros, the ones on the walls were made of bricks and stones making it hard to land and maintain balance. There were several stairs and inclines that runners need take to get to the walls.

The first part of the route was outside the walled city where we ran against trucks, jeepneys and other vehicles along Bonifacio Drive and Padre Burgos Drive. We were able to run at the sidewalks so it was safe.

Running inside Intramuros was more peaceful. The route can be confusing to follow since the loops are not the same. On the first loop we turn left, but on the second loop we head straight. Good thing the marshals were very attentive to guide the runners to the correct roads.

As for the view, there a lot of interesting spots to take photos or to even stop and read the the history of Intramuros. But I was not able to do a lot of those. I have a race to finish. 😀

At the Finish Line

I finished the 12KM race in 1 hour and 28 minutes. It was already dark when I arrived at Fort Santiago.

Overall, it was a nice race. While loop courses are usually boring, the organizers did well in having something different in each loop. At least there is 200-300 meters of something different to look at.

The sunset run for the Salomon CityTrail Run was also a great idea. It was very humid but the runners had a good contrast of Intramuros when you start running while the sun is up, and while it is already dark as you finish.

Will Salomon CityTrail Run 2016 still be Intramuros? I hope they do one last time before finding another location.  More runners need to experience this race.

More Salomon CityTrail Run 2015 photos below