Pinoy Trail Athletes Dominate in SEA Trail Running Cup
Filipino trail running athletes were on a medal haul after a dominating performance during the Southeast Asian Trail Running Cup held last weekend in Bontoc, Mountain Province. Trail athletes from eight different countries competed in the event, which gathered the best trail and mountain runners in the region.
Podium Finishers
The Philippines garnered a total of six (6) gold, eight (8) silver, and three (3) bronze finishes. Team Philippines competed with other trail runners from neighbor countries such as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
(Video taken during the gun start of the 6KM Vertical Kilometer event)
Gold Medalists
Spearheading the country’s impressive showing was Elizabeth Dangadang, who ruled the longest event of the tourney, the 77-kilometer (KM) Long Trail. Crowd favorites John Ray Onifa and Trisha Reyes clutched the top podiums of the 37 KM Short Trail.
Godfrey Farnican mowed the competition in the 12KM Mountain Classic. Meanwhile, promising young athletes Rayven Jay Etta and Luisa Cuerpo were both relentless in the 12KM Mountain Classic Under 20 category.
Silver Medalists
Larry Apolinario and Angelie Cabalo both earned a second-place finish with a commendable effort in the 77KM Long Trail. Romnick Tongkaling and Christabel Martes’ performances in the 37 KM Short Trail were also inspirational.
Other silver medalists include Charlotte Ann Muyco for the 12KM Mountain Classic, Lance Naral for the 12KM Mountain Classic Under 20, and Cara Dacnis for the 6KM Vertical Uphill. Onifa also clinched another medal in the 6KM Vertical Uphill .
Bronze Medalists
Arnie Macarenas showed tremendous heart after battling out the grueling 77KM Long Trail. Godwin Mirar and Samuel Bango bagged the third-place finish in the 37 KM Short Trail and 12KM Mountain Classic, respectively.
Gunning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics
The Philippine Trail Running Association (Philtra), which provides various support for the country’s trail running athletes, is preparing for the possible inclusion of trail running as an official event in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
Tin Ferrera, PHILTRA Vice President and Secretary General, said that they are strengthening the pool of athletes who could compete should that eventuality come to fruition:
“If you will observe, the Philippines is the only country that has an established Under-20 category. We have younger participants from 16-19 years old. We have a qualifier, and we have a continuous program. We are looking ahead for 2032.”
About The Author
Adrian John Ladaga
Adrian started running in 2012 and instantly fell in love with the sport. He now frequents local road and trailrunning events. For him running is simple: "you take one foot in front of another and repeat the process over and over again." You can catch him running in the highlands of Tagaytay city. When not on his running kicks, he steps in the shoes of a content writer and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert.