Eli Dangadang of Baguio City ruled the first ever Southeast Asian Trail Running Cup's 76.89-kilometer Long Trail race, surpassing all female competitors across the region.
Dangadang finished the marathon in 13 hours, 38 minutes, and 51 seconds, beginning and ending at the provincial plaza in Bontoc.
The Bontoc Viewpoint, Mt. Fato, and Guina-ang Rice Terraces were among the picturesque routes that participants navigated in the Mountain Province.
Thai spoils Pinoys quest in trail main event
Meanwhile, Thailand's Jantaraboon "Super Jake" Kiangchaipaiphana won the long trail event despite the challenging course and intense heat.
After 11 hours and 4.08 minutes, Kiangchaipaiphana completed the 77-kilometer route, which was the main event of the three-day tournament. Arnie Macarenas (11:49.10) and Larry Apolinario (11:37.25), two Filipinos who won bronze and silver medals, respectively, trailed after him.
Kiangchaipaiphana may have ruined the party for the host country, but in the short trail race, the Filipinos were unstoppable.
John Ray Onifa, who completed the 37-kilometer race circuit in 4:46:26, took the gold for the short trail and set the stage for the Philippines' podium grand slam. Filipino Romnick Tongkaling defeated Godwin Mirar to take the silver medal with a time of 4:55:35, 16 seconds faster than the latter.
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A prospective official trail running event at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics is being planned by the Philippine Trail Running Association (Philtra), which offers various forms of assistance to the nation's trail running competitors.
Vice President and Secretary General of PHILTRA Tin Ferrera stated that they are expanding the group of athletes that are qualified to compete in events with the hopes of finding more runners in the country.
“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.”
Established in 2021, PhilTRA is a subsidiary of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), the national sports organization.
