One of the grueling mountain trail-running races, the Last Stand of Yamashita, is back this Sept. 10 in Hungduan, Ifugao.
As part of the Mountain Man Ultra Series of Team Malaya in partnership with Intrepid Spirit, the event will take ultra-runners to the trail of Japanese Imperial Army General Tomoyuki Yamashita in the 1940s.
“With an impressive elevation gain of 1,580 meters, this adventure will push your limits and test your mettle in the most awe-inspiring way,” organizers said.
Trail runners will go through scenic rice terraces and villages and will have them scale the highest mountain in Hungduan at 2,642 meters above sea level.
The event features the 50-kilometer, 21-km., and 12-km. trail where runners could choose to register with the marathon t-shirt and other frills or not at a lower cost.
Launched in 2015, the trail run designed by Team Malaya’s Stephen Felices traces the trails of Yamashita in Hungduan and Kiangan, also in Ifugao where he and his army tried to make their last stand in Mt. Napulawan, but eventually surrendered in Kiangan on Sept. 2, 1945.
Felices, who is also the race director of various locally-organized road and trail races in the Cordillera, tried to relive the race route through historical books and stories passed on by old folks in the towns.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Mountain Marathon initially set on Nov. 11 to 12 in Kibungan, Benguet is on the works, as the organizers recently made courtesy call to Mayor Caesar Molintas and Tourism Officers Marvin Tibagay and Charo Solimen.
Initial race categories include six-km., 12-km., 21-km., and 42-km. trail runs, which will bring runners at the grandeur of the rocky wall of mountains and deep ravines of Kibungan.
Visit the Facebook accounts of Team Malaya and Intrepid Spirit or its website www.intrepidspirit.com for more information on various events. – Ofelia C. Empian
