Category: Race Results

Race Report: 1st King Of The Mountain (KOTM) Mt. Ugo Trail Marathon

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Marathon Race, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Running, Trail Running, Travel1 Comment

#3 “Peak Bagging” @ Mt Ugo, Itogon, Benguet via Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya (2,150 MASL)

4:30 AM April 1, 2012/Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya

This mountain trail run was the very reason why I started my “peak bagging” feats. On my way to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya to recon the route of this marathon race, the road to the Mt Pulag National Park was there nearer from the Ambuklao Dam and the attraction of the said mountain due to its popularity was hard to resist. My trip to the peak of Mt Pulag gave me much confidence to reach the peak of Mt Ugo which is 800 meters lower. And my previous trek to the peak of Mt Natib, two days before race day, gave me a general impression on what to expect in climbing mountains.

If you are climbing to the peak of a mountain, expect a slightly ascending and winding path with so many switchbacks from the base of the mountain or from the trailhead until you reach the base of the peak. The trail is wide and well-maintained where one has to expect more ascending portions than descending ones. From the base of the peak, expect a single-track trail that is very steep on only one side of the peak. I usually call this as the “assault” trail to the peak/summit. Due to steep incline of every step of the trail and the thin oxygen in higher altitudes, one has to experience hardness of breathing and faster heart rate, thus, making one perspire some more. In a race, it is very hard to jog on the steep trail on the side of the peak of the mountain. Walking moderately would be a good option to adopt while on this final assault to the peak.

Depending on the kind or nature of the mountain, every trail is different. If a mountain is a volcano, dormant or active, expect some hardened lava and big rocks as part of the trail. If it is an ordinary mountain, expect a lot of changes on the vegetation or biodiversity of plants in every range of elevation and the trail ground can sometimes be pure earth without any rocks.

I arrived in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya after lunch of Saturday, March 31 and my friend, Jonel was at the Municipal Hall & Plaza giving intructions to his staff and at the same time receiving runners who just arrived in the area. Since I gave him the notice weeks ago of my intention to join this event, he designated the only “home stay” facility in the town as my place of accommodation. Kayapa is a small town and there are no commercialized tourist facilities in the area. Just like in Kabayan, Benguet, they have also a “dormitory-type” transient house where the rate is very cheap—P 200.00 per night in double-decked beds. Some of the runners were accommodated in the transient facility of the different barangays of the town. However, there is a big space for campers if runners would decide to pitch their tents infront of the municipal church.

At 4:00 PM, Jonel as the RO/RD of the race event, conducted the race briefing at the Municipal Plaza, infront of the Municipal Hall. It was nice to meet the “usual suspects” in ultra races as well as the local runners from Baguio City and Region 1. I was happy to see runners who came all the way from the Ilocos Provinces, Central Luzon (Region 3) and Metro Manila.

After the briefing, some had their “carboloading” in the local eateries located in the Public Market of the town which is just across the road from the Municipal Hall. It was time to taste the local foods! The pork stew with the local’s native pig is always a winner! And there is also a bonus dish which is the “adobong inasinan na baboy” (preserved salted pork cooked with soy sauce & garlic). The eatery where I ate have also pancit (noodles)!

After dinner, I had a brief talk with some of the runners and everybody was in a relaxed mood. Nobody talked about the race and what to expect during the race. On my end, I told them about my experiences in my new passion of “peak bagging” where Mt Ugo will be my 3rd mountain peak to conquer!

At 9:30 PM, I was already sleeping. However, I was awaken by the movements of the other runners staying in the same place who started to have their shower as early as 1:30 AM. There is no point of forcing myself to sleep some more. I slowly prepared my things and took a shower.

At 4:00 AM, I was already with the rest of the runners at the Starting Line/Municipal Hall which is located across the road from the place I was staying. It was nice to greet more friends and everybody were all smiles. I didn’t see any tense looks or faces among the runners. We were there to enjoy the outdoors and have fun in experiencing the 1st Mountain Trail Marathon in the country.

In a simple ceremony, Jonel led the Invocation/Prayers and I was the one who led the singing of the National Anthem. After a simple welcome and reminders about the critical areas in the race from Jonel, we were ready to go. At the schedule start time, 4:30 AM, the race started with a simple countdown from the count of 10 to 1 & “GO!” from the Race Director.

The first 5 kilometers was an uphill/ascending route along the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya. I did not run or jog on this part. I just simply brisked walked with the aid of my trekking poles. After 2 kilometers of this winding uphill road, I knew I was one of the last runners of the more than 150 runners who joined the half-marathon and the marathon distances. There was nothing to worry as I knew there will be more ascending portions as the race progresses.

As I reached the trailhead, I started to jog along the unpaved road leading to a narrower trail. It had been raining for the past days and I knew that most of the route will be slippery and muddy on portions with loose soil. I would run on flat and descending portions and then brisk walk on steep inclines. This ritual had been repeated through the race. I would be very careful on portions where there are slippery rocks and muddy portions of the trail. I was very confident on my footings due to the trekking poles I was using.

In less than 1 1/2 hours, I was able to reach the turn-around point of those who were participating in the half-marathon at Bundao and I was able to meet the lead runners who were under way to the finish line. I said to myself, the half-marathon distance did not offer much challenge and nice scenery for the runners. I just envy the runners that they are through with the day!

I could say that the trail from Kayapa side is well-maintained and I could see lots of vegetable farms on the sides of the mountains all around. Well, there are animals also that you could meet along the trail. I observed cows and wild/native pig on the sides of the trail.

After almost 17 kilometers, I met incoming runners who were telling me that I was on a wrong trail and I had to retrace myself to the nearest trail intersection. It was good, I was lost for only about 50 meters!

I memorized the word “Domolpos” as the place of the last Aid Station towards the peak of the mountain and it was my target to reach where I could take my first food through my power bars and gels and Gatorade mix. I was with a group of runners (Ed Yonzon, Chito Carreon, Vener Roldan and Gay Baniwas, a lady runner from Baguio who finished 1st Runner-Up in the Ladies Category) when I reached this place. Gay asked me to have a picture with her and later on,  I remained in the Aid Station as they left one by one. I took a pee, ate my energy bar, took a gel, and mixed my Gatorade powder. I guess, I spent almost 3-4 minutes in the process.

When I was back on the trail, I could no longer see the rest of the runners who were with me at the Aid Station. I kept on pushing myself until I saw the back of Gay and I was relieved. Gay became as my “guide’ towards the peak of the mountain. We would have another and more photo-ops along the steepest portions of the “assault” trail towards the peak. I passed her when she stopped to take some more snapshots of the scenery around the trail.

I kept on pushing and digging more of my trekking poles on the steepest parts of the peak and regularly looking for the bright light to appear in between the plants and bushes that cover the peak. If I could see a brighter light source in between the trees and plants ahead of me as I look up to the direction of the “assault” trail, it means that the peak is within my grasps!

After 4:25 hours, I reached the peak and I was able to meet again Chito, Vener, and Ed Yonzon who just happened to be having their photo-ops near the peak’s marker. I congratulated Koi Lapira for a nice route as he prepared to take a picture of me at the peak marker as a proof that I reached the turn-around point. My GF 305 registered a distance of 23.1 kilometers and an elevation of 2, 165 MASL. After my photo-ops with Koi Lapira, I joined the rest of the runners for another pose.

After my photo-ops with Koi Lapira (the evidence that I reached the turn-around point), I joined the rest of the runners for another picture pose. On our descent to the Domolpos Aid Station, I led the runners at a fast & decent pace.

At the Aid Station, I did the usual ritual—pee, eat, and mix my drinks while the rest of my companion started to resume their run. At the Domolpos Elementary School, I was able to catch up with their tail but I needed to slow down my pace as I approached a very steep trail as I left the school. As I reached the top of the trail, I could no longer see them on the flatter portions until I was able to pass one runner.

When I was about to approach the next Aid Station (Ansipsip), I saw 3 runners who just left the station. I saw Philippe Arenillo, a Pinoy runner, and the French guy whom I met the day before the race running in a single file. I stopped at the Aid Station and drank some Mountain Dew and asked from the Marshall what is my ranking/position among the runners who just passed. The marshal said that I was #30. I became excited as I have some “targets” to follow. However, I was still trying my best to catch up with the group of Chito, Vener and Ed.

Few meters from the Ansipsip Aid Station, I was able to pass the Pinoy runner and the French guy and ultimately joined Philippe. Philippe and I brisked walked and jog together on those descending portions of the route along Telecabcab Trail. I could not speed up on those steep descending trails because I was trying to protect my painful knees! My quads were already burning while the trail was very slippery. More fences to overcome until Philippe asked me for him to go ahead after having a conversation with him for about 2 kilometers.

Philippe became my “target” as I could see him infront of me. Switchback after switchback, I could still see him until I saw another runner who was walking and later overtaken by Philippe. At this moment, I was #28 runner! When I approached the runner, it was Ron Sulapas and I engaged a conversation with him and encouraged him to join me to catch up with Philippe. He joined me in my jog but later after a few minutes he slowed down and I continued my run. I could still see Philippe about 10 meters infront of me but he started to increase his pace until I lost him. I said to myself, #27 finisher would be a good accomplishment already!

As soon as I reached the last incline of the route/trail, I was back on the main road and the last 50 meters of the race was very fulfilling. I could here the banging of a gong, the ringing of cowbells, and the cheers of those who finished ahead of me from the finish line. I was all smile on those last 50 meters as I carried my trekking poles as if they are my batons! I crossed the finish line in 7:56:57 hours. Officially, I am ranked as #27 out of 69 finishers. Not bad for a 59-year (& 11 months) old runner.

The following were the data downloaded/recorded by my Garmin Forerunner 305:

Distance: 42.06K

Average Pace: 11:20 minutes per kilometer

Average Speed: 5.3 Km/hr

Maximum Speed: 12.5 Km/hr

Average HR: 150 bpm

Max HR: 171 bpm

Total Ascent: 2,751 meters

Total Descent: 2,794 meters

Highest Peak Elevation: 2,169 meters above sea level

Distance From Start to Peak: 23K

If you want to become an all-season trail runner, this is a Marathon Trail Race which you should not miss. I highly recommend this trail run. However, you should find time to make a reservation on your accommodation in the town of Kayapa weeks before the event and if possible, conduct a recon on the said mountain.

Congratulation to Jonel, his FrontRunner Magazine staff, and to all the Finishers for a job well done!

See you on May 26-27, 2012 for the 1st KOTM Mt Ugo Trail Ultra Marathon Race!

(Note: Pictures Courtesy of Jake Manzano, Gay Baniwas, Ed Jonson & Ismael Ilagan)

Results: 2nd MAYON 360 50-Mile Ultra Marathon Race

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Race Results, Races, Running, Sports Program, Travel, Ultramarathon1 Comment

The following are the results of the 2nd MAYON 360 50-Mile Ultra Marathon Race held last Saturday, April 21, 2012. Please click on the link below.

Mayon 360 Race Result final corrected (1)

One Hundred Thirty Six (146) runners, out of 169 starters, finished the race within the prescribed cut-off time of 15 hours.

Congratulations to all the Finishers! Good job!

Podium Finisher @ 1st KOTM Mt. Ugo Trail Marathon

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Marathon Race, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Running, Trail Running, Travel2 Comments

Danin Arenzana of Elite Team Bald Runner placed 1st Runner-Up Overall in the 1st King of the Mountain (KOTM) Mt. Ugo Trail Marathon in Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya on April 1, 2012.

Despite being “lost’ along the trail route for three times, he was able to catch up and pass some of the lead runners and ultimately, finished the race with a time of 4:56:58 hours. He was the 3rd runner to reach the summit of Mt. Ugo.

This is the first time that Danin finished a full Marathon distance which happens to be also his first official running competition since he joined the Team Bald Runner almost three years ago!

He prepared for only 18 days for this event, concentrating on endurance, strength, and specificity. He goes almost everyday to “Brown” Mountain and its environs. His endurance runs on weekends would reach up to 60 kilometers in one workout on his peak training!

Well, don’t ask who the hell is his COACH!

Danin In Black

Danin and his COACH will be back for the 1st King of the Mountain Ultra Trail Run on May 26-27, 2012!

Congratulations, Danin!

(Note: Danin is on the Middle, wearing the BR’s Black Shirt)

Result: 2nd PAU Tanay, Rizal 50K Run

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Running, Sports Program, Travel, Ultramarathon11 Comments

4:45 AM March 25, 2012/Tanay, Rizal-Sampaloc-Baras, Rizal via Marcos Highway

Congratulations! Welcome to the Ultrarunning Community!

# Bib # List of Runners Time
       
1 26 Alfred Ocampo 4:47:42
2 45 Warlito Dela Cruz 5:01:43
3 200 Alfred delos Reyes 5:32:02
4 35 Gregorio Ocampo 5:35:13
5 1 Graciano Santos 5:43:37
6 8 Paolo Osmena 5:43:57
7 92 Benedict Balaba 5:53:22
8 57 Raffy Gabotero 6:02:18
9 70 Almar Danguilan 6:06:16
10 36 Sergio Bandol 6:06:21
11 51 Raul Tapia 6:06:44
12 30 Samson Ocampo 6:10:37
13 42 Richard Montiano 6:13:26
14 58 Chips Dayrit 6:16:41
15 64 Melvin Pangan 6:19:38
16 27 Vergilio Leona 6:23:45
17 101 Ronnel Go 6:26:34
18 21 Myron Manuel Nuyles 6:29:21
19 38 Daphne Rose Codilla (F) 6:36:25
20 40 Romeo Santos Jr 6:43:05
21 24 June Javier 6:45:05
22 10 Erwin Tolentino 6:47:29
23 29 Sherwin Botabara 6:54:57
24 4 Johann Marquez 7:00:27
25 5 Aureo Cyrus Lim 7:02:21
26 54 Jon Borbon 7:04:18
27 69 Meljohn Tezon 7:04:49
28 62 Valen Co (F) 7:07:40
29 63 Angelica Leysa (F) 7:07:41
30 17 Ronaldo Robles 7:09:27
31 14 Franklin Ace Panuncio 7:10:07
32 67 Cesar Aquino 7:17:38
33 7 Miko Sabado 7:24:58
34 31 Gil Ocampo 7:26:16
35 37 Narciso Alipio 7:26:17
36 33 Raul Roco 7:28:21
37 55 Vans Camannong 7:28:56
38 53 Tony Viernes 7:40:35
39 32 Conrado Teodoro 7:44:18
40 34 Robert Reyes 7:44:19
41 39 Nelson Val Caro 7:47:27
42 68 Ariel Aquino 7:52:48
43 65 Hermogenes Saludes 7:53:07
44 25 Japhet Grande 7:54:07
45 16 Mary Grace Lao (F) 7:58:42
46 11 Marc Conrad Molina 7:59:34
47 9 Dexter Cruz 8:00:20
48 41 Jealum Cabo 8:06:07
49 6 Lady Dianne Palogan (F) 8:07:23
50 52 Jojo Paguia 8:17:35
51 56 Bong Alindada 8:21:26
52 23 Angelo Balisalisa 8:23:05
53 28 Jeje Ajosto 8:23:44
54 59 Bong Leano 8:25:57
55 49 Lyra Rosario (F) 8:26:23
56 48 Karl Ocampo 8:26:38
57 18 Carmeli Anne Ortega (F) 8:29:07
58 2 Mar Marilag 8:30:28
59 66 Marc Grande 8:30:40
60 47 Nap Ocampo 8:33:10
61 22 King Mark Joefred Patricio 8:38:00
62 12 Jhunbie Serna 8:38:13
63 50 Arianne Ortega (F) 8:40:31
64 13 Stephanie Hefti (F) 8:41:16
65 60 Antonio Jimenez 8:43:06
66 61 Chito Asuncion 8:43:08
67 43 Christopher Francisco 8:44:25
68 46 Chie Angeles (F) 8:50:02

2012 BDM 102: Race Report By Peter Kennedy

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Runners' Training, Running, Sports Program, Travel, Ultramarathon5 Comments

Decision to Run

Back in September I wasn’t seeing any improvements in my 5 km/10 km times even though after three years in the Philippines I was fully acclimatised and my mileage was up at the 70 km level per week.  I knew I was leaving the Philippines in March and when I heard about the BDM 102 I thought that it would make a suitable climax to my running in the Philippines.

Race Preparation – Endurance and Speed

I wanted to do my best I could in the race, even though it was my first ever and possibly only ultra-marathon.  So I looked round for both a running coach and a nutrition coach.  I needed coaches who knew how to train someone for top-class ultra-marathon running and in Ige Lopez I found someone who is both an experienced ultra-marathon runner and coach.  He put me on a training schedule in three parts – 7 week build-up towards 100 km/week, 10 weeks of endurance/speed training which peaked at 160 km/week (including warm-up runs), and then one month tapering before the race.  The training was very varied – long slow runs at weekends reaching back-to-back 75/25 km runs, moderate-paced runs up to 21 km, sometimes with hill sessions or fast intervals, aerobic-paced runs on alternate weekdays and one rest day a week.  I was fortunate to avoid any injuries in training.  However if I had experienced the BDM course before the race, I would have realised that I needed to do a lot more hill work (Ige did hint this to me), but work and family commitments would have got in the way.  The highlight of this training was a 3 hours 20 minutes marathon in December.  The lowlight of the training were forgetting to take my hydration pack on one of my trips abroad, which disrupted the nutrition plan for my 60 km training run.

Nutrition

My nutrition coach Harvie de Baron was excited to take on the challenge of helping me with the BDM 102.  He has advised good athletes and those trying to lose weight before, but not someone doing an ultra-marathon who can’t gain weight.  In fact after a few weeks of additional healthy snacks (fruit, sports bars and milk) I gained 2 kilos which converted to additional muscle whilst my fat content remained very low at 5%.  This can be explained by my high metabolic rate, equivalent to that of a 12 year old!  The plan for the race was to get all my calories through liquid rather than food.  I opted for wearing a hydration backpack and taking frequent sips of isotonic drink, with short stops every ten km for an energy gel and extra water.  We slightly increased the concentration of isotonic drink to enable me to get 260 calories/hour.  I could also carry a phone, torch and spare headlamp in the hydration pack and I got used to carrying all this weight on my training runs.  Other key ingredients of the training were a protein recovery drink after all long runs and a weekly massage.

Gear

I decided to race in compression shorts and vest, much as the triathletes do, which avoided any chafing problems.  My GPS watch was essential to my training and the race itself, but I wore a second basic running watch as a backup just in case it failed me.

Life outside running

During the five and half months of ultra marathon training there wasn’t much of a life other than running and sleeping.  Moreover the demands of work as well as the training meant I often didn’t get enough sleep – but not starting work until the afternoon most days allowed me to catch up with sleep after the early morning runs.

The Race itself

The gun went off promptly at 10:15 pm.  I immediately joined the leading group and was running comfortably at 4:30 mins/km pace!  I knew I had to slow down but somehow I kept up my pace on the long hill and even went into the lead for a few kilometres.  I arrived at my first drink refill stop after 12 km, five minutes ahead of schedule.  I knew then I blown the negative split strategy and it could lead to serious problems before the end of the race.   So after continuing quite fast downhill for the next ten kilometres, I eased back the pace considerably.  I got a bad shock when the 22 km marker for my next drink stop wasn’t in sight after 25 km and I lost five minutes making a phone call to the support team.  Jonnifer Lacanlale, the eventual winner, passed me at this point but I didn’t try to catch him.

All my drink stops every ten kilometres were under three minutes – the time it took me to swap drink packs on my back, and take an energy gel plus water, giving a total of 25 minutes of stops, which is probably less than most runners, even the other fast ones.  At the 42 km drink stop, I vomited due to the volume of liquid I was drinking but I was prepared for this – I just took another drink of water and set off without any delay.

Running in the dark went well – it was not too hot; there was a full moon and there was a wide edge to the road so that I could easily dodge any oncoming trucks/buses that didn’t move out when approaching me.  The only near-miss occurred when a bus coming fast from behind on the wrong side of the road passed within two feet of me but most likely the driver had seen me because of my reflective strips.  This year there were no accidents in the race.

After 52 km I slowed down to below 6 mins/km and thereafter the pace was closer to 6:30 mins/km.  Each ten kilometres seemed never-ending because I could see from my watch how slowly I was running, but I kept focussed.  I had been due to change shoes and socks after 52 or 62 km, but I abandoned this idea since I didn’t feel any problems with my feet, which turned out well since the third place runner was only five minutes behind me at the finish.

After the half-way point, I was followed closely by another runner.  However at 82 kilometres he only walked on whilst I changed drink packs and then when I passed him again he dropped out of sight.  I heard afterwards that he finished in 15 hours which meant that he spent more than 6 hours on those last 15 kilometres which is a horrendous consequence of his going too fast at the beginning.

When dawn came I had reached 75 km, but I didn’t notice the heat until the last 10 km when I was running the very long straight road from Guagua to the finish.  At this point I couldn’t see anyone behind me and my final 10 km was done comfortably at 7:06 mins/km pace.  I crossed the finish line at precisely 9 am in a time of 10:44:56, which is an average running pace of 6:02 mins/km, and second place!

So the endurance training was a success but my pacing was a failure.  It was clear from my times in training that I could hope to run at 5:30 mins/km pace for the BDM, which when stops are added, would be a net 5:50 mins/km pace – within the course record.  I was well prepared for this, including many moderate pace runs at 4:30-5:00 mins/km and good practice at running negative splits.  Such times on largely flat roads probably gave me false hopes and the over-confidence in my speed that tapering brings plus the effect of running steeply uphill until 10 km was too much and I failed to follow my own race plan.

My overall liquid consumption was 150 ml/hour less than planned which is understandable in a night-time run.  This meant I only took in 220 calories/hour on average, which probably contributed to my slowing down in the second half of the race.  I didn’t make this risk clear to my support crew and so I never used the contingency plan of taking an energy gel every five kilometres instead of every ten to compensate.

Even if I hadn’t run too quickly at the beginning and everything else had gone according to plan, I am not sure I could have matched Jonnifer’s time without doing as much hill training as he did.

I very much appreciated the efforts of my support crew: my wife, our driver and one extra driver.  They ensured that I never missed them at a stop, checked I was crossing the road safely every time, re-filled my hydration packs in between stops, kept the stops to a minimum time and all this meant that they didn’t get any sleep either.

Reflections afterwards

Why did I do it? Were the long hours of training worthwhile? What’s next?

I run because it is easy to do and I am built for it, even though having the right running gear makes it an expensive sport.  I like the competitive nature of races and the thought of winning is a great spur for me to action.  I like the health benefits it brings – very high fitness level even at the age of 60, with not a day off work through illness in the last 10 years.  With no weight problems I can eat and drink what I like within reason.  Running also gives me extra energy for work which brings its own rewards as well.  So I see myself continuing to run for many years yet, competing against the world’s best runners in my age group.  The change from middle-distance running on the track in England to an ultra-marathon in the Philippines has been very enjoyable and I intend to vary my competitive programme going forward with a different focus some years to others.

I hope this account inspires more people of any age to change their lifestyle to include exercise and good diet and others to extend their running beyond the fun-run level right up to the challenge of doing a fast ultra-marathon.

 (Note: Peter Kennedy of Great Britain finished as the 1st Runner-Up with a time of 10:44:56 hours in the 2012 BDM 102)

2012 BDM Ultras’ Podium Finishers

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Pictures, Race Results, Sports Program, Ultramarathon1 Comment

2012 BDM 160K Ultra Marathon Podium Finishers

 

2012 BDM 102K Ultra Marathon Podium Finishers

 

2012 BDM 160K & 102K Ultra Marathon “Grand Slam” Awardees (Dindo Diaz, not in the picture)

Congratulations, Ultrarunners!

Official Result: 2012 BDM 102K Ultra Marathon Race

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Running, Running For Cause, Sports Program, Travel, Ultramarathon13 Comments

2012 Bataan Death March (BDM) 102K Ultra Marathon Race

10:15 PM March 3, 2012 To 4:15 PM March 4, 2012

Mariveles, Bataan To San Fernando, Pampanga

Starters: 186

Finishers: 160

RANK N   A   M   E TIME
1 Jonnifer Lacanlale (Champion, CR) 10:00:54
2 Peter Kennedy (1st Runner-Up) 10:44:56
3 Eugene Yasay (2nd Runner-Up) 10:50:09
4 Alfred DeLos Reyes 11:54:47
5 Graciano Santos 12:29:27
6 Rain Ordonez 12:33:29
7 Laurencio Ogerio 12:37:59
8 Junn Besana 12:38:38
9 Junrox Roque 12:43:05
10 Jerome Lagumbay 12:53:34
11 John Paul Baldomar 12:56:25
12 Elmar Tolete 13:06:01
13 Mario Alberto Danguilan 13:09:01
14 Henry Laron 13:11:31
15 Wilfredo Estepa 13:22:52
16 Simon Pavel Miranda 13:23:42
17 Rick Adrian Salay 13:37:08
18 Jerome Bautista 13:51:31
19 Nolan Llanora 13:54:54
20 Roberto Abad 13:56:38
21 Rafael Gabotero 13:59:12
22 Gregorio Maranon 14:01:35
23 Ronie Morimoto 14:01:46
24 Lieza Valerio (Female, Champion) 14:02:12
25 Fernando Dellomos, Jr 14:03:25
26 Alvin Adriano 14:05:35
27 Rolando Nerona 14:06:44
28 Darryl Panado 14:10:00
29 Ma. Aleth Reblora (Female, 2nd) 14:15:40
30 Francisco Delmo 14:19:44
31 Bob Castilla 14:20:51
32 Jose Cando 14:21:06
33 Jonathan Colao 14:35:01
34 Mark Repala 14:35:49
35 Erwin Tolentino 14:38:17
36 Nino Andrelix Navarro 14:39:07
37 Jeffrey Jay Amurao 14:53:39
38 Meljohn Tezon 14:55:02
39 Fernando Sy 14:55:38
40 Camilo Paran 15:05:39
41 Carlos Macasarte 15:06:09
42 Joseph Pineda 15:07:26
43 Jon Las Bruce 15:08:13
44 Catalino Lee Escasinas 15:09:39
45 Randy Rubio 15:09:47
46 Ace York Guerrero 15:13:23
47 Doel Torres 15:13:50
48 Candy Balaba (Female, 3rd Runner) 15:14:02
49 Carlos Delos Santos 15:15:35
50 Max Espinosa 15:19:44
51 Reno Enopia 15:20:56
52 Din Cordero 15:21:20
53 Peter Roy Salingay 15:24:44
54 Jesus Llarena 15:26:57
55 Dennis Chavez 15:34:54
56 Dindo Diaz 15:36:08
57 Emerson Sto Domingo 15:37:55
58 Alberto Castro 15:42:59
59 Marlo Guloy 15:45:31
60 Joey Baladad 15:48:07
61 Ricardo Cabusao 15:48:45
62 Carlito Buenaventura 15:48:59
63 Tomas Miguel Miranda 15:50:37
64 Alain Cuchas Ilagano 15:52:39
65 Ronnel Go 15:54:55
66 Dino Dolina 15:57:03
67 Asher Dolina 15:57:04
68 Angelo Lagumbay 15:59:23
69 Trojan Lorenzo 16:02:32
70 Allan Roy Martos 16:04:30
71 Michael Kent Reaport 16:04:37
72 Miguel Angel De Alba 16:12:00
73 Frederick Quitiquit 16:12:05
74 Jude Palispis 16:14:24
75 Vic Topacio 16:14:39
76 Ruben Silva, Jr 16:17:03
77 John Lao 16:22:28
78 Teodolo Alferez 16:22:32
79 Reylynne Dela Paz (F) 16:23:08
80 Lawrence Arvin Tomas 16:33:54
81 Alvin Rivera 16:34:12
82 Cesar Abarientos 16:37:07
83 Alan Paul Vargas 16:37:12
84 Torii Akimitsu 16:37:17
85 Irene Ong (F) 16:37:38
86 Randy Racho 16:39:12
87 Benedict Muriel 16:44:19
88 Jonathan Manas 16:44:31
89 Brian Tan Seng 16:44:35
90 Jayson Tan 16:47:39
91 Ron Illana 16:50:13
92 Jonel Mendoza 16:53:30
93 Samuel Narcise 16:53:34
94 Lemuel Narcise 16:53:34
95 Marlon Saracho 16:53:36
96 Luedemer Samar 16:53:37
97 Ofelia Lorete (F) 16:53:39
98 Mark Anthony Delumen 16:54:19
99 Jesse Chan 16:56:09
100 Angelo Anillo 16:58:37
101 Emil Hulipas 17:02:33
102 Gerzon Patriana 17:03:04
103 Mary Jane Villamor (F) 17:04:14
104 Raffy Barolo 17:06:05
105 Merwin Torres 17:06:34
106 Calvin John Escandor 17:08:54
107 Jon Michael Tan Flores 17:09:30
108 Erell Villalba 17:10:54
109 Blas Ople Tiangco 17:12:34
110 Ruben Fajardo 17:14:17
111 Ernesto Badong 17:14:23
112 Gabriel Tuason 17:15:10
113 Ronnel Castro 17:15:58
114 Ian Francisco 17:16:19
115 Katrina Perez (F) 17:16:44
116 Carl Balagot 17:17:41
117 Steve Paul Dumlao 17:20:01
118 John Andrew Alcedo 17:20:36
119 Paolo Tambo 17:21:57
120 Jojo Paguia 17:23:06
121 Alexander Jones 17:23:31
122 Bee Yen Soberano 17:23:48
123 Ryan Albert Moral 17:28:58
124 Wesley Orana 17:29:41
125 Caloy Nobleza 17:30:34
126 Marvin Pangan 17:30:40
127 Michael Dauz 17:30:44
128 Japhet Grande 17:30:54
129 Chaps Grande 17:31:02
130 Franklin Ace Panuncio 17:31:27
131 Cris Dela Cruz 17:31:41
132 Julius Cervantes 17:31:48
133 Jason Sison 17:32:29
134 Joseph Ligot 17:33:09
135 Vicky Ras (F) 17:34:05
136 Larry Daliwag 17:34:12
137 Victor Viola 17:35:17
138 Anthony Mark Alindada 17:35:59
139 Florimon Bernardo 17:38:22
140 Jose Arthuro Virata 17:39:01
141 Jorge Richard Guerrero 17:39:06
142 Raymond Canta 17:39:11
143 Leo Tugade 17:39:15
144 Edgar De Jesus 17:41:28
145 Jorell Anthony Paringit 17:43:03
146 Roger Villareal 17:43:42
147 Aldouse Zaguirre 17:43:57
148 Vincent De Lima 17:44:30
149 Theodore Zamora 17:46:17
150 Don Armand Gutierrez 17:48:35
151 Jinky Yray (F) 17:46:39
152 Harold Lorete 17:48:42
153 Robert Jonah Rivera 17:49:26
154 Michael Rheneson Galas 17:49:52
155 Jeje Ajusto 17:52:03
156 Benjo Termulo 17:53:18
157 Marie Ann Ortega (F) 17:54:34
158 Carmeli Anne Ortega (F) 17:56:21
159 Nelson Val Caro 17:57:58
160 Erwin Ordonez 18:00:00

Vibram Hong Kong 100K Race Report—Ryan Sandes Wins Again

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon1 Comment

(Note: This is an article written by Andre Blumberg of Hongkong and it was posted at www.ultra168.com)
Vibram Hong Kong 100km Race Report – Ryan Sandes wins again
Ryan Sandes takes Vibram Hong Kong 100 title in new course record despite fierce Nepalese assault- Andre Blumberg reports.

The second edition of the Vibram Hong Kong 100 took place 18 – 19 February 2012 and has already established itself as one of the region’s premier ultra events. The HK100 entered the scene only last year and is still the only 100k solo distance race in Hong Kong. Perhaps not surprisingly, and well in line with the global explosion of ultra popularity, the registration rates skyrocketed to over 750, or about four-fold in just one year, and the race sold out almost three months in advance and without any significant advertising.

And the “Picture of the race Award” goes to:

All of the eventual HK100 Top 6 close together here at only 11k into the race

Hong Kong may not be the first place that comes to mind in the context of ultra trail running. However the city has a lot to offer, including four long-distance trails and numerous shorter trails in the various country parks. The HK100 course follows the famous MacLehose trail but with a few modifications to make it even more scenic and interesting. The start is in Pak Tam Chung and the course then stretches through the Sai Kung country park along beaches and mountains to continue into the Central and Western New Territories of Hong Kong to finish with a descend of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s tallest mountain at 957m. The course has an elevation gain of over 4,500m which includes literally thousands of stairs. When compared to TNF100 Australia in the Blue Mountains, the consensus among those that have run both seems to be that HK100 is a lot harder and less runnable.

Vibram Hong Kong 100 elevation profile – a very back-loaded course

The organisation of the race was once again flawless. Race Directors Janet Ng and Steve Brammer, a lawyer and a banker by trade, are both seasoned ultra runners who have participated in events worldwide. This year Janet will race UTMB whilst Steve and one of his buddies will join the PTL, a 290k, 22k D+ event. So the HK100 truly is an event by runners for runners. It is often the little things that make a race stand out, for example an amazing ratio of less than two participants per every one volunteer along the course and at the aid stations. Two aid stations were operated by kids from a scouting organisation and the vibe and motivation of the kids was absolutely infectious.

The course was well-marked with well-stocked aid stations approximately every 10k. The weather conditions were perfect, temperatures around 10 – 18C and humidity around 65 – 80%, fairly low levels by Hong Kong standards. Participants could enjoy the most stunning views across Hong Kong’s peninsula.

One of the more unique aspects of this race is the very generous cutoff time of 32hrs which is a lot compared to other 100k events; in fact it would more commonly be associated with a 100 miler. The rationale is to enable a broad range of participants from all walks of life to participate, including those that prefer to hike a 100k solo effort. Regardless of the lavish cutoff times, the event still recorded a DNF rate of about 20% which shows just how hard the course really is.

Shortly after the HK100 start

Wu Shan Kuan from China DNFed at 52k after 9:28hrs – he ran barefoot the entire way

This is not to say that the race was slow – nothing could be further from the truth. The field was deep and stacked with talent. Salomon International sent Jen Segger from Canada, Grant Guise from New Zealand and Ryan Sandes (winner of all 4 Deserts races and 2011 winner of the famous Leadville 100) from South Africa. Then there were the top Nepalese mountain runners Aite Tamang, Bed Sunuwar and Sudip Kulung who all finished on the podium at the recent Annapurna 100 in Nepal. China’s top ultra trail runner Yun Yan Qiao 运艳桥 joined as well (2nd at 2009 TNF100 Singapore, 2nd at 2011 TNF100 China and 14th at the 2011 CCC in France).

Nepalese Bed and Aite are the first to reach CP2

Yun Yan Qiao from China reaching CP2 in third position

Ryan Sandes coming into CP2 in fourth position

Most of the notable local Hong Kong ultra runners also participated; including last year’s first and second William Davies and Jeremy Ritcey, respectively. Dan Parr and Eric LaHaie toed the line, both with excellent Racing The Planet event credentials. Unfortunately “Stone” Tsang Siu Keung was unable to join due to injury. On the female side Hong Kong-based Nora Senn and Claire Price signed up, last year’s runner-up in the 100k solo and winner of the 100k duo. Claire finished 4th at the 2011 TNF100 Australia and an outstanding 2nd at the 2011 CCC. Olya Korzh, who did very well in a number of local mountain marathons this season, as well as Xing Ruling 邢如伶 from China (1st in 2009 TNF100 Singapore and China, 1st 2010 Taklamakan 100k) rounded out the top prospects.

Female winner Nora Senn always in good spirits

Female first runner-up Claire Price refueling at CP2

Female second-runner up Jen Segger digging deep on tar at 72k with a floating Matt Meckenstock

Australia was well represented with Andrew Dawson, John Ellis, Keith Mearns and Michael Ormiston, all currently resident in Hong Kong. Richard Mountstephens and Matt Meckenstock came up from Australia specifically to participate in the event.

Having participated in a number of ultras in the Philippines, I was very keen to have some of their talent join the HK100 to get some international exposure and therefore sponsored Raul Lamprea and Jucell Laya. Both are members of the Philippines Army and the Bald Runner Ultra Elite Team, run a 2:40 marathon time and it was the first time for them ever to travel overseas – a great experience with many lessons learned.

Members of the Ultra Elite Team Bald Runner from the Philippines proudly showing their Gold trophies

Come race day the starting area was absolutely buzzing with runners, everyone seemed to be in a great mood and it was truly an international field with 28 countries represented. After a short race briefing the gun went off at 8am and the pace at the front was ferocious. The course only has around 600m of wide road at the start before turning off into single-track for several kilometres, so everyone was keen to speed up in order to not be bogged done there.

I had done the inaugural 2011 HK100 in a time of 13:51 which placed me 10th overall and my target time was 13:30 since I only had about six solid weeks of training in my legs and had completed TNF100 Thailand in 2nd place just two weeks earlier. After the start I was hanging with the lead field for a short while but quickly backed off since the pace was not sustainable for me. I settled into a good rhythm and ran with Keith Mearns for the next two hours or so. I felt pretty good all day apart from the usual minor lows and my two-pack strategy worked well to reduce any unnecessary layover time at the check points. Paper, my girlfriend and crew chief-of-staff, had all the routine worked out based on the prior year and welcomed me at each of the accessible support stations during the first half for bag swaps, some motivational words as well as taking plenty of pictures along the way.

By the time the 52k check-point came around I was ahead of plan by 30 mins and at that time decided to change the target to go sub-13, previously considered an absolute dream time for me. All I had to do from now on was to execute based on my plan and maintain the 30 mins lead. It was pretty rough at times going through a few lows and I had to constantly remind myself to persist with relentless forward progress. I was pleased to see that my ultra experience thus far paid off and I started to take positions by benefiting of the evolving carnage around me, runners that went out too fast for their abilities and then spent too much time at support stations. On the other hand I was not overtaken for several hours, except when Nora Senn stormed past just prior to the 65k mark. Despite trying hard, I was not able to hang with her and had to let her move ahead. Later on coming down from the notorious Needle Hill at around 86k into the race, I was surprised to catch Matt and Jen who was suffering from the concrete surface of the course. After a short chat with them I carried on to hit the 13hrs mark and then brought it home in 12:50, over an hour faster than last year which I was extremely pleased about.

In the meantime, Nora went on to catch Claire and finished in a Senn-sational 12:34 followed by Claire in 12:40 and Jen rounded off the female podium in 13:01.

All smiles on the female podium – Claire Price, Nora Senn and Jen Segger

Sometimes I wish not to race in an event, just so that I am able to follow and witness the lead pack go about their business. This year’s HK100 would have been such an event. The pace was fast from the start and surprisingly not a lot changed in the ranking between early on in the race and the finish after 100k.

The Nepalese runners Aite and Bed took an early lead and managed to hold on until somewhere between CP6 and CP7. At that time Ryan Sandes took the lead and then brought it home in an absolutely astonishing 9:54hrs, almost two hours faster than last year’s record by William Davies. But Ryan was not alone: remarkably, all of the Top 10 finishers broke the course record, including William himself. Aite finished second in 10:17, followed by Bed in 10:26 and Jeremy Ritcey did Hong Kong proud in 4th and a blazing 10:47. Andrew Dawson (12:30), John Ellis (12:34) and Richard Mountstephens (12:40) were the top Aussie finishers. On the Kiwi side we had Grant Guise in 10th place (11:45) as well as Callum Stowell (13:22) and Denis Kelliher (17:56). Full HK100 race results can be found here.

The three Nepalese runners Sudip, Aite and Bed with their support crew

Ryan Sandes clearly has left a mark on this race. Going sub-10 on this course it truly remarkable, especially since the season is only just starting. Ryan didn’t even run all the uphills as you can see in this short video here, but he surely is blazing the downhills – he probably studied Dan’s related Ultra168 article. So – well done, Ryan. For those racing TNF100 Australia in May, brace yourself for the potential of a new course record.

But HK100 was more than just about the top winner. It was an interesting case study in how the ultra world may be changing in future. To have the three Nepalese participants Aite, Bed and Sudip finish in 2nd, 3rd and 8th place is a clear signal that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg here in Asia when it comes to top performances. There are many untapped “markets”, such as Nepal and the Philippines, with a range of top talent that has yet to hit the international ultra trail event scene.

The difference in background between the Salomon team and the Nepalese team could not be more pronounced. Ryan is a professional ultra runner, has multiple sponsors, access to Salomon R&D for customized kit and accessories, latest training methods and presumably a number of trainers and coaches. Two of the Nepalese runners are in the Army, the third worked as a porter. They get by on very limited means. They have no regular sponsors, no expensive kit. They do have a lot of talent and a certain level of ignorance, innocence, almost purity – and I mean that in the best possible way. While the Salomon team held trail clinics and product demonstrations in the days leading up to the race, the Nepalese walked along the course to prepare for the race.

Despite the vastly different backgrounds, the top three finishers only separates a bit over half an hour with Aite and Bed coming in second and third. I was very fortunate to share dinner with the Nepalese team and their coach Ramesh after the race, and came to the conclusion that despite all the differences in background, financial means, equipment and training methods we all share one thing: a deep passion for ultra trail running.

Feedback from the participants of the HK100 was outstanding across the board. Clearly, the event moved from good to great and it sets a new benchmark for ultra trail races in the region. Well done Janet and Steve – when will registrations open for your eagerly awaited third episode?

Ryan Sandes: 2012 Hongkong 100K Trail Run Champion

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Running, Sports Program, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon1 Comment

BR & Ryan Sandes of South Africa

Ryan Sandes of South Africa finished the 2012 Vibram Hongkong 100K Trail Run in 9:54 hours beating the course record in almost 2 hours. He is the reigning Champion of the 2011 Leadville 100-Mile Endurance Trail Run with a finish time of 16:46:54 hours. (Note: At the background is his girlfriend/support crew, Vanessa Haywood, an actress and a model). Two Nepalese soldiers-ultrarunners were 18 minutes behind him who finished 2nd and 3rd place!

Top Six (6) Finishers In Action @ Km #12

Ryan Sandes is a member of Team Salomon.

(Note: Full Report to follow soon)

Look & Compare…The Cheapest Ultra Race!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Race Results, Races, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon9 Comments

This could be the road race that you had been waiting and looking for. If you are fond of looking for cheap registration fees and want to get back what you have paid for, then this the running event that is worth every centavo of your money!

2011 Champion DOT Award For Sports Tourism

If you want to have a review about what had happened in last year’s 1st edition of the event, you can click on the following links.

https://baldrunner.com/2011/04/08/race-directors-report-1st-mayon-360-50-mile-run/

https://baldrunner.com/2011/04/03/result-1st-mt-mayon-360%c2%b0-50-mile-ultra-marathon-race/

https://baldrunner.com/2011/10/13/award-winning-ultra-run/

Nothing Beats MAYON 360 50-Mile Endurance Run that promotes Sports Tourism in the Regional as well as in the Provincial Level.

See you at the 2012 Magayon Festival!