Ultramarathons: Turbocharging the Running Boom in the Philippines

A couple of my first posts when I started this blog in 2010 were about the running boom occurring and the race distances being ran at that time in the Philippines. One year later, I followed up with an updated and detailed post, noting the increasing number of running events being held per week nationwide, from an average of 2.13 in 2010 to 13 during a 4-week period in 2011- an astounding six-fold increase!

 Running Events in the Philippines (10-week period, 2012) 

Scrutinizing the 10-week running calendar from late-July to September 2012 at Takbo, Pinoy Fitness and Live.Laugh.Run, I could see that there will be at least 58 running events nationwide for an average of 5.8 events per week. With 38 or 62% of these events to be held outside of Metro Manila, it is clear that the running bug has spread throughout the islands, an in-your-face answer to the title of my original post- Philippine Running Boom: a Manila-only Phenomenon?

But while there will still be more than twice as many runs as there were in 2010, one may argue that this is only half as many as the number of running events held for about the same period last year. Therefore, has the running boom peaked and perhaps already on the decline? Is the proverbial running bubble, if it is indeed a bubble, heavens forbid, about to burst?

Fear and despair not, whether you are a running die hard and or one simply riding the running fad as a lifestyle alternative. Thanks in large part to the vision, daring, and perseverance of two gallant men behind the Bataan Death March and frontRunner ultramarathon events, and to the unconditional support of a select and close-knit, but perhaps an 'only-a-mother-can-understand' hardcore, section of the Philippine running community, the sport of running in the country is seeing a new dawn unfold – this time in the ultra distance category.

Consider, for a moment, the following 2012 numbers for Philippine ultramarathons that, for the still uninitiated, are defined as running events longer that the regular full marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers (K) or 26.2188 miles:

2012 Philippine Ultras by Race Distance

There will be at least 33, possibly 35, ultrarunning events for 2012 across the country covering distances of between 50K to 200K- significantly more than the 25 full marathons that the country will hold for the same period as listed in the Philippine Marathons page of this blog. Almost half (44%) are entry level 50Ks but more than one-third (38%) of the ultra races will be in the 100K or more distance categories.

2012 Philippine Ultras by Race Type

Sixty-seven percent of these ultra distance events will be ran on roads while the remaining 33% will involve trails, both in high mountain tops as well as in undulating valleys. There will be an almost equal number of point-to-point (P2P) and out-and-back or loop (single to multiple) ultra distance routes. Four will be timed events (6-hr, 12-hr, 24-hr, and 36-hr endurance runs).

2012 Philippine Ultras' Starting Cities

The starting cities for the events are as well-spread as the race distances are varied. All the major islands are covered and, given that Davao City in southeastern Mindanao and Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte in the northern tip of Luzon have hosted ultra running events in 2011, it safe to say that the sport of ultra running in the Philippines now spans the whole archipelago- surely a healthy excuse, both literally and figuratively, to play tourist across the islands in probably the best possible way- on foot!

2012 Philippine Ultras by Month

But perhaps the greatest news is that there are at least two to as many as five ultra running events held each and every month. To top it all, this is just the hors d'oeuvre. The main dish, or one can even call it a banquet, is still being prepared and has yet to be served. In the PinoyUltramarathonersGROUP on Facebook that now has 749 members, all alumni of Philippine ultras held in different parts of the country- with several having ran and finished the world's coveted ultra races such as Western States in the US, Comrades in South Africa, and UMTB in France, among others, the Bald Runner informs us that he will introduce more ultra mountain trail runs next year for them to equal the number of road races. The frontRunner likewise avers that there shall be more events for 2013. In fact, he informs us that joining four ultra events-  the Hardcore Hundred Miles (H1) and Taklang Damulag 100 Miles in 2012 and the BDM 160 and H1 Trail in early 2013- begets a Grand Slam Ultra Award, courtesy of A Runner's Circle, aside from earning UMTB points for the H1 Trail run!

T2N's Point to Point (left) and VTC's Double Loop Routes (right)

But from the pulpit I do not speak. Although I have finished 34 different full marathons as I post this, I have done only three ultras, all only 50Ks plus change, two of them locally- the Tagaytay to Nasugbu (T2N) 50K Road Race in 2011 (#60 of 202 finishers) and the Valley Trail Challenge 50K in Sta. Rosa this year (finisher #55 of 123 runners)- plus the Cowtown in Texas, USA. Both local events are held in cities less than an hour's drive from Metro Manila that are also conveniently near my training base in the mountains. The starting points of both races are in fact so close that they can be drawn in a single frame rather easily on Google Earth.

T2N's early morning view of Taal Lake

The T2N 50K Ultra, a Bald Runner point to point event, starts from the tourist destination city of Tagaytay, famous for its cool climate, and ends in the beach resort city of Nasugbu. The route is hilly but, overall, the race is a ‘down’ run on asphalted or cemented roads from as high as 692 meters above sea level (masl) in Tagaytay to 15 masl in Nasugbu. Along the way, one gets to enjoy a postcard-perfect, early morning view of Taal Lake, pass through coconut plantations, with an option for a finish line ocean dip or even a round of golf in the popular beach and golfing resorts of Nasugbu. Sometimes held twice a year, the T2N 50K is a rather easy race, highly recommended for marathon finishers wishing to take a first peek at what goes on beyond 42K.

VTC's famed 'New Zealand'

The Valley Trail Challenge 50K, a frontRunner event, on the other hand, is a tough and rugged race inside the otherwise manicured and upscale real estate development project of Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna. The double loop route has a rolling terrain, rising from 103 masl to as high as 227 masl and with single track trails 90% or so of the way. One gets to run in the middle of a sugarcane plantation, pass through a tunnel, wet-cross a bridge-less stream, and enjoy ‘New Zealand’- a hilltop area with a herd or two of cattle grazing on an evergreen pasture, adorned by the virgin forest peak of Mt. Makiling in the distant horizon. Held during the rainy season, the muddy and slippery trails can be an ultra newbie’s unforgettable but enjoyable nightmare!

My T2N and VTC Mementos

What lies beyond 50K, road or trail, in the Philippines, I still have no first-hand experience and, therefore, cannot say. But hopefully, not for too long.

For starters, I am changing my running itinerary starting next year to be able to run, at least once, all the ultras held locally, in over a few years, hopefully. I will try to blog these ultra runs, if only to share the experience with the local as well as international running community. Hopefully, despite back to back to back long distance running, I'll continue to remain injury-free.

Next, I have posted a Philippine Ultramarathons page in this blog to serve as a one-stop-shop for those planning to run Philippine ultra races, knowing from experience that the planning itself can be as daunting as the running. Hopefully, this will also help bring into the country even just one overseas runner to run an ultra or two, surely a step forward to making the Philippines, in the words of The frontRunner, an ultra destination country.

Small infant steps, no doubt, but if running extra long distances is to power and turbocharge the running boom in the country, wouldn't it be nice to contribute even just a little while also running a bit, but enjoying a lot, of that long distance journey?