A TOTAL of 31 international athletes have signed up in the 3rd Mt. Apo Sky and Vertical Race that started at 12 a.m., April 21 at the foot of Mt. Apo in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
The international race organized by Vertical2Sky in partnership with the Visit Davao Summer Festival (VDSF) attracted racers from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Scotland, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Mexico who will be running straight to the peak of Mt. Apo and back.
In Friday's press conference at the Recreational Outdoor eXchange (ROX) in Abreeza Mall, seven of the 178 participants appeared.
They were female 100km defending champion Manilyn Mamugay, Cheryl Bihag, 8th female Asia Trail Grandmaster, David Giannelli, champion of Mesastila Peaks Challenge in Indonesia, Seow Kong Ng, race director of Eco Panay 100 in Malaysia, Maria Teresa Aranalde Miguel, Mohd Razis Bin Abdul Rahim, race director of Magnificent Merapo Trail and Noorshari Shahir.
Mamugay and Bihag will make an interesting rivalry in the female 100km category while Giannelli of Italy will challenge the male 100km defending champion Pablo Gonzales of Mexico.
"I will just try my best," said Mamugay while Bihag said she'll try to enjoy her first ever 100km trail race in Mindanao.
"To podium is just secondary. If I will have a podium finish then it’s already a bonus," Bihag said.
Others like Ng, Miguel, Rahim and Shahir will just enjoy the beauty of the highest mountain of the Philippines as they registered in 50km and 15km only.
The winners of both male and female 100km-distant trail race will represent the Philippines to the Vietnam Mountain Marathon with an all-expense-paid courtesy of VDSF apart from the bragging rights. (ABM)