Davao City reached another milestone in its sports scene on July 26 with the successful staging of the first DC Trail Ultra.
The DC Trail Ultra is the first trail running event organized by the City Government of Davao in partnership with the Team Davao Runners. The race featured challenging distance categories, including 50 kilometers for professional runners, 25 kilometers and 12 kilometers for intermediate trail runners, and a beginner-friendly 5-kilometer course.
The event drew in a total of 3,000 race participants across the country, who tackled the challenging yet scenic terrain in Calinan and Baguio Districts.
“This is, by far, the biggest convergence of all the seasoned, strong, fast trail runners in the Philippines to date,” Mikey Aportadera, Head of the City Sports Development Division, shared in his message prior to the 50- kilometer run gun start.
The event started shortly after midnight with a brief program to welcome race participants and remind them of the race guidelines. A ritual was also offered by the members of the Bagobo Klata community.
Aportadera told the City Information Office (CIO) that they have received several good feedbacks from the race participants.
“Daghan kaayo mi’g positive comments kay tungod it’s unique because nakita nila ang Davao City beyond the roads, and they appreciate ang backroads nato, ang mga nakapuyo sa kabukiran sa Davao City. In fact, ang mga lumulupyo sa ato’ng kabukiran is very supportive sad sa atoa. Everybody was happy (We received a lot of positive comments because it’s unique—they saw Davao City beyond the roads, and they appreciated our backroads and the people living in the mountain areas of Davao City. In fact, the residents of our highlands are also very supportive of us. Everybody was happy),” he said.
He also bared that due to challenging weather conditions in the past days, some changes were made to prioritize the safety of the race participants.
“We were very particular with the safety of everybody,” Aportadera emphasized.
Meanwhile, Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) Head Angel Sumagaysay said there were 1,545 integrated safety and security personnel deployed during the race to further ensure the safety and well-being of the runners.
“Very satisfied ang atong participants kay dali ra maabot sa security and safety personnel kung naa sila’y need (Our participants are very satisfied because they can easily reach the security and safety personnel whenever they need them),” he said.
Race participants took to social media to commend the organizers of the event for the excellent aid stations, accessible medical support, strategically positioned dedicated race marshalls and security personnel, as well as the warm support of the community in the area.
“Everything was exceptionally well-organized—from the smooth race flow, the positive atmosphere, and the amazing volunteers, to the medical teams strategically deployed everywhere, making every runner feel safe and well taken care of,” Guia Angelie Cabigas, one of the race participants, wrote in a Facebook post.
The City Government of Davao extended its gratitude to event partners, the community, personnel from the barangays where the trail traversed, and to every race participant who heeded the call of the DC Trail Ultra: Built for the Bold. CIO
Written by: J. Villaluz
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo by: J. Faelnar