Neither scorching heat nor pouring rain could break the stride of 3,000 runners who conquered the rugged trails, steep climbs, and muddy descents of the Davao City Trail Ultra on July 26, 2026, the city’s first trail running event, proving they are truly built for the bold.
Leading the runners were this year’s champion for the 50-kilometer trail men’s division, Godwin Mirar who finished the long trail after 4 hours, 46 minutes and 55 seconds, ahead of Archie Paran (5:31:00) and Jevie Cagatin (5:32:18) who secured the second and third places, respectively.
“Lingaw kaayo ang trail and first time sad nako sa Baguio District. Daghan kaayo og participants and ang kada station daghan kaayo og pagkaon, daghan og mga marshalls. Tsada ang trail diria sa Baguio District (The trail was very fun and it was my first time in the Baguio District. There were so many participants and every station has a lot of foods and many marshals. The trail here in Baguio District is great),” Mirar said of the gueling race that started at 2 a.m.
Mia Revilla clocked 7:02:51 to top the 50km trail women’s division, narrowly holding off Shally Yuson (7:05:53) in a thrilling finish, while Rhea Mae Panerio was in third at 7:15:59.
In the 25-kilometer trail, Jorge Andrade claimed the championship title with a time of 2:43:43, followed by Marky Llandres, who earned 2nd place just a minute behind at 2:44:42 while Marietto Sitoy placed third with a solid performance of 2:45:44.
In the he 25-kilometer female division, Leedy Erika Villamonte lead the runners, crossing the finish line clocking 3:37:17 to secure the 1st place. Sharon Cabantao took second place clocking 3:44:54, while May Angelie Mag Aso captured 3rd place right behind Cabantao at 3:45:31.
The shorter but equally challenging 12-kilometer trail also crowned Joar Jay Abunda as men’s division champion who finished the trail at 51:17, joined by Alvin Bacalso (54:35) in second place and Daniel Earl Lausan (56:17) completing the top three finishers.
In the 12km Female Overall Division, Dyrenne Jayne Lago took home the champion’s title after hitting 1:13:26, standing alongside Rachel Subere who secured the 2nd place at 1:17:37 and Easther Vincent Familiar who earned 3rd place crossing the finish line in 1:20:38.
In the 5-km Male Overall Division, Annielov Cahucom seized the first place, clocking 26:10, followed by second placer Ceejay Fuentes (26:58) with Roñan Sherwin Murillo claiming the third place.
Erlyn Joy Untalan’s (40:34) strong finish secured her the first-place spot in the 5km trail, alongside Analin Opsiar (42:29), while Anna Liza Barcuma (43:22) secured third place.
Michael Denton P. Aportadera, head of Davao City Sports Development Division (SDD) also extended his gratitude to the athletes who heeded the call, praising them for showcasing Davao’s hidden beauty through their boldness on the trails.
“This is actually our way of showcasing the city of Davao to all of you. Daghan salamat sainyohang pagdawat sa hagit sa DC Trail Ultra, Built for the Bold (This is actually our way of showcasing the city of Davao to all of you. Thank you very much for accepting the challenge of the DC Trail Ultra, Built for the Bold),” he said.
“Just keep going, keep on running. Be active, have a very good health. Try to also enjoy what is free in our nature,” Aportadera furthered.
The DC Trail Ultra, staged across the scenic Calinan and Baguio districts, was organized by the City Government of Davao in partnership with Team Davao Runners.
To know more about the race results, runners may visit the Davao City Trail Ultra official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/davaocitytrailultra. CIO
Written by: N. Malasado
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo by: J. Faelnar