Foreigners expected to flock to Itogon

TOP SKYRUNNERS from all over are set to return in Itogon’s Mt. Ugo for the second edition of the Philippine International Sky Race dubbed Pilipinas Akyathlon slated February 9.

Women’s defending champion Dany Gongot of Malaysia is expected to return in the country’s second international Sky Race which is a high-altitude mountain trail running event covering 35.4-km out-and-back race, starting from the Barangay Hall of Tinongdan in the Municipality of Itogon, Province of Benguet.

Second placer Julie Green of Australia is also being eyed to return in the one day running event with nine other foreigners seeking for the top purse in the competition organized by the Philippine Skyrunning Assocation.

“This early, we have some foreign runners including one from Kenya but we don’t know if the men’s defending champion will also be returning,” said Nina Dacanay, former PSA president Project Manager.

Hong Kong based runners, including Indonesian, Malaysians, and sky runners from United Kingdom includes the early registrants, according to Dacanay.

“To date we also have 38 local runners who have already registered and we still expect more runners to join as the date draws near,” added PSA president Jules Picato.

Registration Fee for the skyrunning event will be at ?1,900 for Philippine residents until January 15 while late registrants will be charged ?2,400 until February 8.

For foreign runners, registrants will be charged $60 payable in Baguio on February 8 during kit claim/race briefing.

Registration closes at 7:30pm on February 8 and there will be no on-site registration on February 9, 2013, according to race organizers.

Payment by local residents can be made by depositing the fee to BPI current account number 3191-0473-02 of Philippine Skyrunning Association, Inc. Email scanned deposit slip (with your name) to psa@philskyrunning.com.

Kenyans Eluid Kering and Jackson Chirchir were the top two finishers during last year’s initial run while Filipino Mario Maglinao came in third in the event in cooperation with the Province of Benguet, Municipality of Itogon, and Barangay of Tinongdan and supported by the Department of Tourism – CAR with Salomon, ROX, and Summit Drinking Water backing the race. (Roderick Osis)