■ Ofelia C. Empian
This year’s ca-lendar of events for the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) includes one of the country’s premiere trail running races, the King of the Mountain Trail Run-Hardcore 100 Miles, set in Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya.
In its Facebook post, the ITRA presented the key details of KOTM-H1 which is set on May 24 featuring a 174-kilometer or 100-mile trail race with a total elevation gain of more than 10,000 meters.
The ITRA-certified race has less than 10 percent of the route made up of concrete roads. The rest are single track trails, dirt or gravel paths, dry stream beds, and grasslands, among others.
The ITRA, which is the official trail-running world ranking organization since 2013, also stated the KOTM H1 finishers will get six ITRA points.
The ITRA points will be the basis for a trail runners’ place in the official trail running world ranking, which is recognized by the World Athletics.
KOTM organi-zers, Intrepid Spirit and Team Malaya, were thankful for the ITRA’s inclusion of the race in its prestigious calendar of events.
“This recognition is a testament to the uniqueness and challenge that Hardcore Hundred Miles brings to the trail running community,” the organizers said.
The KOTM-H1 miles is the first 100-mile trail race in the Philippines. It takes runners to two major peaks: Mount Pulag tower and Mount Ugo and several hills and hamlets in between.
Co-presented by R.O.X. Philippines and Department of Tourism-Cordillera, the H1 is part of the King of the Mountain Trail race series.
Through the years, the organi-zers of KOTM have also been coordinating with the different local government units and communities of Kabayan and Itogon in Benguet and Kayapa in Nueva Vizcaya prior to conducting their event.
