TOP Filipino skyrunners seek podium finishes when the National Skyrunning Championship kicks off in neighboring Itogon town in Benguet on February 10.
Three time skyrunning champion Sandi Menchi Abahan will be marked woman as she vows to reclaim the national title against fellow Pinay trail runner Majo Liao and hometown favorite Gretchen Felipe.
Also in the running for a podium finish is 2018 champion Elias Tablac, first runner-up Jeffrey Aligan and vertical kilometer champion Vinson Ramos.
The centerpiece of the race presented by Hoka One One is a 50 mile (89 kilometers) race that has a 5,070 meters elevation gain. A 50 kilometer race will see a 3,550 meters elevation gain.
“Though this is much a pretty different race (Akyathlon) now, since the distance is increased from 42 to 49 kilometers, I expect to do much better this time so I will return to the top podium,” said Abahan during a press conference held Monday at the Department of Tourism – Cordillera office here.
Last year, Abahan was trailing Itogon native Felipe when both took the wrong turn.
Tabac will be returning to defend his 2018 Skyrunning title in the men’s side even as he has Jeffrey Aligan, who gassed out at the downstretch to loss to the former, as top opponent. But eyes will be on Ramos, the top skyrunning prospect who has won most of the vertical kilometer running events in the country.
Elite runners are hoping to earn points for the Asia Trail Master Series, of which the Itogon event is part of.
The 49 Km SkyMarathon in Itogon is part of the Pilipinas Akyathlon or the Philippine Skyrunning National Championships.
It has five categories, namely, the premiere 49 Km race which starts at the Binga (Dam) Indigenous People’s Cultural Heritage Site in barangay Tinongdan of said Benguet town, to sitio Lusod, the traditional foot path of said community to Ambasa village and to the West Summit of Mount Ugo and back to the starting line.
The highest point of the race is 2,220 meters above sea level (about 6,700 feet above sea lever). The toital elevation gain is 3,750 meters.
There is also a 25 kilometer race and a 10 Km trail run slated on said date.
Two races are slated on February 9, the Vertical Kilometer or the National VK Championship which is a five kilometer race with 1,000 meters elevation gain.
The race, the Philippine Skyrunning Association describe, is a “challenging category on a lung busting course that requires participants to huff and puff from start to finish.”
There is also the Kiddie Akyathlon on February 9, which is “set in a safe and controlled environment.” However, the organizer caution participants because it is not a walk in the park, but “comes with a whopping 70 meter elevation gain.”