PSA mulls PH skyrunning series
IN A bid to promote the sport and entice more runners, the Philippine Skyrunning Association is planning to hold a Philippine Skyrunning Series next year in the different parts of the country.
Erwin Hermosa of the PSA said several trails in Benguet and other parts of the Cordillera can pass up to the standard of holding a skyrunning event which, they see as an opportunity of holding several races to drum up support for the sport.
“Benguet is one of the best areas for skyrunning. And with these, we are planning to hold series of mountain running event,” said Hermosa.
Mt. Ugo in Itogon, Benguet with an elevation of 2,220 meters above sea level has been the home of the Pilipinas Akyathlon hatched by the PSA which is an International Skyrunning Federation sanctioned race.
The mining town will once again host on February 4, 2018 the seventh staging of the akyathlon series with longer and tougher route.
The four distance sky running event is expected to lore close to 300 runners from across the country and other countries.
All race categories start and end at the Indigenous Peoples’ Cultural Heritage Site in Binga, Tinongdan, and goes up the traditional foot trails of the local communities to the village of Lusod and up to the summit of Mt. Ugo for the 46 kilometer race. From the summit, runners then make a U-turn and return via the same trail back to Lusod. From there, runners descend down the Tinongdan hiking trail to the Agno River valley and follow the path back to Binga.
Registration is now ongoing until January 15, 2018 at the Lagalag Stores located at the Lower Ground Floor in Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City and at the Lower Ground Floor Main Bldg, of SM City North Edsa. Online registration may be coursed thru RaceYaya.com. Registration fees for the 10K is P1,000; 25K at P2,000, and 46K at P3,000.
Skyrunning is an extreme sport of mountain running above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) where the incline exceeds 30 percent and the climbing difficulty does not exceed II degrees grade.
Hermosa added the event, aside from gaining popularity of the sport will also help boost tourism in the area where the races are held. Roderick Osis